Inside the Mad House
by VesperChan
Summary: What happened inside Domo, doesn't stay in Domo. Sakura's stay with possessive, psychopathic males is a haunting affair. Sakura multi
1. First Hell

**INSIDE THE MAD HOUSE**

"It seems like it was so long ago that I, Haruno Sakura, was in the danger wing of the nut house along with criminals and psychopaths that you really are better off not knowing about. I wasn't really insane, (I wasn't!) but I sort of have this alter ego that takes over when I get really man and she/I/we get super strong and super violent.

After sending three guys into a coma after they tried hitting on me, I was incarcerated with all these other psychos. I shouldn't have been put in the same breathing vicinity as any of those men, but that wasn't what was done. I was thrown into the very jaws of what seemed like hell. You wouldn't believe some of what went on in there.

WARNING: AkaSaku and MultiSaku crack ahead. Really, you guys should know me better than this by now.

_Standard diclaimer applied._

* * *

Sakura thought it poetic that the sky was overcast when she left the courthouse with her brainless oaf of a lawyer who couldn't do anything right to save either of their lives. If Sakura didn't know any better she would have thought her lawyer wanted her behind bars, he was _that_ bad.

It was also overcast the day the elite ones who sought to judge others escorted her into that damed white building with roman pillars and an impressive front desk where everything looked just so perfect. It was so annoying how everything looked so perfect and in place.

Everything... except the cuffs on her wrists.

.

Keep it cool at the freakshow  
Baby its a happy place  
If you lose it, honey  
Just take your time  
Close his eyes

.

She returned to consciousness with a jerk followed by a dull ache in her lower back and chest. Her head was tipped backwards over the edge of a chair so that her wide eyes were opened towards the bleached ceiling.

'Ouch.' Sakura shifted in her seat and felt bruises around her lungs as they expanded with a shallow cough. She felt something sticky around her mouth like syrup that was beginning to dry. Sakura's lips were still cracked.

"You finally decide to join us Miss. Haruno."

The pink haired girl turned my head to the side, ignoring the pain popping up and down her neck from the movement, to see a tall red haired woman with a pointed witch nose and a mole on her chin. Ah yes, the reason God gave us middle fingers. 'I would flip her the bird myself if my hands weren't wrapped in potato sacks and wired to the table with plastic clips.'

Sakura grinned in spite of herself. "Nice to see you too, doc. How's it hanging?"

The red haired witch shifted weight from one side of her body to the other and looked the young girl over. She was wearing a long white lab coat buttoned up to the collar so unlike Sakura's own. Sakura's was the same color but much thicker with sleeves that wrapped around the front and tied off in the back like most straight jackets did.

The witch clicked over in her polished heels and grabbed Sakura's face between two fingers. Sakura jerked free, leaving one of the woman's fingers coated in red. Blood, Sakura realized. Her last memory sparked alive in her head and she giggled.

"Oh yeah, that was fun."

"Really, huh...I wonder how much more trouble such a creature as yourself will pose to us as well as the other patients."

Sakura's last memory played back in her head and she giggled again just to freak the red head out. Last thing that had happened to Sakura had been a fight in the brand new cell with date rape Sally. Sakura wasn't very found of being sweet talked and she made sure the pig knew that well enough by the time Sakura was drugged and removed.

"Hows her ear, doc?"

"Horribly mutilated. There is a limit to how much of your fractious behavior we are willing to tolerate with you."

Sakura rolled her head limply to the side and stared up at the doctor through sooty lashes and grinned wide. "Oh, well you know me, doc. I just love to be _egregious_." She drew out the last word in an effort to show how educated she could be when she wanted to.

'I _had_ been on route to college before this whole fiasco even though I was only sixteen. Well, I was seventeen now. I spent my birthday last month in a bleached white room, screaming at the guards to let me out. I didn't want to spend another birthday behind these walls. With my sentence I would be in here till I was twenty one, the age of beer and handguns. I really don't want to stay stuck in here till I'm freaking twenty one!'

The witch waved her hand and then wiped whatever remained on her finger down the front of Sakura's shirt. "Haruno, or Sakura, whatever you prefer, the director has decided to move you into level D for extreme behavior patients. You will be given a single room cell but mobility will be restricted. From there he will personally decide what corse of action to take with you."

"Level D? Did we forget how to put are letters in order, Doc? I don't remember there ever being a D hell." Sakura laughed, still loopy and not yet sane.

There was level A for the females and then level B for the guys. Level A2 was for the really bad girls and B2 was for the homeboys. There was no level C or D for that matter. Sakura knew because she had actually paid attention to the white coats when they talked and explained everything in the beginning as well as in court. 'And what do you know, it doesn't pay shit.'

"Level D does not exist Haruno."

"Then where the hell am I going?" she laughed, her head falling back and eye lashes lowering halfway. She was still high and not in her right mind because of the fight and the blood. The true Sakura would wake up in the morning and be disgusted with herself and probably cry, but right now she loved it.

There were men coming through the doors, four of them in total. Two grabbed her arms and picked her up and the other two held sticks with white lights at the end. They stung like cattle prods, but they had to because the coat was so think.

'Bullshit if you ask me since they like to get you in the neck if they can.'

"Karin...where am I going?" Sakura whined, being dragged and poked out of the room with her staying behind.

She grinned like the she-devil Sakura knew she was right before the doors closed in the girl's face. "You are going to hell, Sakura Haruno."

The door slammed shut.

'And so that's how I ended up here, strapped back with white linen and sack cloth gloves across from a male with long black hair.'

Karin was right. Level D was hell.

.

_Let the record play,  
Let the record play,  
Let the record play._

_And the record keeps playing,  
The same old song._

_._

Sakura woke up to find her body sprawled about messily from another night where her mind was not her own. She moved her fingers one by one and then flexed her hand, twisting at the wrist. It hurt but so far there wasn't anything she couldn't move. If her bones had been broken they had magically healed during the night once again. It was an odd trait she didn't like questioning due to it's ties with their other mind festering inside her skull.

"Hello?" someone asked with a hushed whisper.

Sakura tilted her head back and looked back to see the upside-down figure of a young boy with wide, questioning eyes. He was quite a pretty boy Sakura noticed with smooth skin tanned just enough to make his long lashes stand out. Full lips too.

The boy moved a hand towards her and suddenly her body was not her own. Her leg, slim and long, like a perfect pin up model's, jerked upwards to kick his hand away before the rest of her torso followed, pulling into a helicopter like kick with her legs split into a perfect 90 degree angle. Like a cat she sprang back and crouched down low, her own eyes wide with fear.

"Owwww," the young boy moaned, grabbing his hand. She saw the pain she had caused him and instantly lamented.

"Ohmygosh I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, it was just a reflex and I just woke up in a weird place so I didn't know and I hope you're alright," she quickly explained, blurring her words together in a rush of regret.

Thankfully the boy wasn't bitter.

"Nah, that's okay, I understand. I shouldn't have reached out when you were still drowsy. You're okay now, right?"

"Yeah...um, my name's Sakura by the way. Who are you?"

"My name is Naruto, I'm an inmate in here as well for the same reason as you. Dual personalities. I think that's why we are in the same room together." He looked around for emphasis. "This isn't my room and it doesn't look like a cell, so I'm expecting someone to walk in and talk with us. Look, there's even a desk here for them."

Sakura looked around real quick. "Talk to us, about what? Last thing I remember was being carried off to my own room."

Naruto coxed his head to one side, letting golden bangs fall away from his beautifle boyish face. "You don't know?"

She blinked. "Know what?"

"Domo has a reputation you know. There are tons of people who are let out early for allegedly taking secret tests or experiments, even though they say it's just good behavior." He then shrugged. "But then again, that's just talk, since no one who has ever come out has been any worse for the wear. I guess their kind of experiments are like psycho tests and surveys. I used to hate having to take those in school, ugh."

"...School you say. Naruto how old are you?"

"Me, I'm 16, but I look older don't I. What about you Sakura chan?"

"I'm 17."

"Eh, no fair, you're older than me. And here I thought I was hott stuff. Don't worry though, I dig older women, Sakura chan."

She ignored that last comment with relative ease. It was somewhat common to her throughout school considering she was on of the prettier girls in her small town of farm houses and smallish nightclubs where everyone knew everyone else "Naruto, how long have you been here in Domo?"

"About five months, why?"

She didn't get the chance to say more since two white coats and a man in a suite entered. The suited man had long black hair and golden eyes reminding Sakura of a snake. He smiled especially wide once he saw Sakura. "Good evening dears," he greeted as smoothly as a serpent. "I trust you are in good health so far."

"Who are you?"

His eyes were glowing with glee. "Oto Orochimaru, director of this fine establishment."

If she were in her other mind Sakura would have blurted out that his so called fine establishment sucked balls but she was sane at the moment so she just glared. "And what are you here for, Oto san?"

"Yeah, what are you here for you creep!" Naruto added, coming up beside Sakura trying to look cool.

"To aid you a bit."

She gave him a pointed stare.

He coughed. "You see, you condition is special. You were not in your own mind when you did what you did to get in here, either of you, so I'm willing to let you have some slack for that if you help us out."

Sakura crossed her arms, smelling something not quite legal. "How?"

"You are committed to five years originally, and have spent close to a whole year already in here. Eight months if I am right. Instead of living out the rest of those four years in the regular sections I would like it if you participated in some research experiments. You sentence would be cut in half to two years for good behavior."

"Is this legit?" Naruto asked, sounding confused.

"Completely!" the snake chirped.

Two years only? That meant she only had to be absent from the public for a little less than three years. She would be back before she turned twenty! She wanted it. She wanted it more than anything and felt the weakness in her pushing away rational thought. She didn't know anything about these tests or experiments but she wanted out so fearfully she would bite bullets for it.

"What would I need to do?" she asked.

"Just interact a bit with the other patients, communicate and maybe run a few field tests. We're more interested in the mental state of these men and yourself. Interviews, taped recordings, conversations,-"

"No, I mean, where do I sign?"

.

Silicon, saline, poison inject me  
Baby, I'm a free bitch

.

It was a while before they did anything with her. They let her sit in her room and wait for days, driving her bonkers with the need for communication. She would call out and try to change her position but no one was there to hear her or to react to her words. To have no power over the course of things is a terrible feeling. This was one of the reasons Sakura did not complain so loudly when they did harm to her body and tortured her like a lab rat.

It was better than the silence.

The door opened and she barely had enough strength to look up, she was too tired.

"First day with the other rats, get up."

She was in one of those self hugging white jackets so it was a bit harder, but she used her well built body to rise up and followed the big guy out of the room where they hooked her collar to a plastic rope. They led her like a dog into another room with only a table and a chair and a very sad man who sat slumped.

He had green hair and gold eyes half lidded and glowing in the darkness. They jerked her into the seat across from him and hooked her leash to the table so she couldn't get up and run out. He was hooked down too, but he was so well built she wondered if he could just stand and release the both of them.

A box sunken into the table blinked and Sakura saw a small red light come on. She was supposed to talk with the guy, she remembered.

About what?

He spoke before she could.

"Why are you here?" he asked, voice deep and...what was it that his voice reminded her of?

"I'm dangerous apparently," she answered.

He smirked, looking her in the eye. "You're too thin to be dangerous. You wouldn't even be tasty." He looked away and they returned his gaze to her face, taking it in with more detail. She saw his expression soften. "No, you are too delicate for this horror. You look more like a flower than a criminal."

"My name is Sakura," she offered.

His eyes glowed brightly. "How uncanny. Spring child?"

"Yeah, what about you?"

"Zetsu...Born in the Winter. I kill anything I try to grow. I once tried to grow a Sakura tree you know, but it died. I like growing things...like grass. That doesn't die. It's one thing I can have. But I'll get better at it. I'll become better. I'm not the gardener, _he_ is."

Yup, this one seemed loony. No wonder he was locked up.

"I used to work in a flower shop. I didn't grow anything but I got good at arranging flowers and making bouquets.

"Flowers are nice." His voice dropped and she didn't hear the second part. "You look like a flower."

"Mmm, yeah I guess so, but I don't grow any. I used to have a garden though. Tomatoes and strawberries, peas and watermelon, stuff like that."

He stared at her for a long time before answering. "Did you eat any of it?"

"Yeah."

"Was it good?"

"Eh, sometimes. The harvest wasn't always good, you know."

He blinked, content to stare at her. "Do you like to eat? What do you like to eat?"

She thought back to the stale plastic food they fed her and almost gagged. All she ate was crap inside Domo. She really wanted something real and fattening once more. What she wouldn't give for some hot steaming pasta and buttered bread. "Oh wow, there is so much I want to eat right now. There is this little Ma and Pa shop down the street where they serve the greatest pizza in the world and the macaroni is like nothing Kraft sells. Bow-ties and meatball heros, God what I wouldn't give for something like that now. And Sherbet. I love that stuff. What about you? What do you eat?"

"Flesh."

"Pardon?"

"I eat flesh," he explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He spoke as if he were describing the weather.

"Really?"

"Yes."

Well that explained why he was locked up in a coat like hers and chained to the table with plastic. All of a sudden she was starting to get real uncomfortable with where she was and who she was sitting across from. People she beat up were nowhere near as strange as this guy and frankly it was daunting. If she had to, could she take someone like him down? Would she be able to defend herself with that other part of her mind? What did that split side of her think about all this?

Sakura didn't get a chance to find out because someone else's split side came out at that time.

"**Now I'm hungry, come here and let me taste you**!"

"What?" She squeaked, jumping up out of her sea and moving as far away from the table as her leash would allow her to. Her body was buzzing all over with fear as she saw herself reflected in those glassy yellow eyes. He was watching her like they were animals: a lion and a mouse.

"**Let me have a bit, just a little lick**."

Just then the white coats came in and broke the party up, tazing the green haired fraek back into submission while another pair clomped Sakura on the shoulder to sit down before unhooking her and dragging her out.

"**Damn it I want it. I want flesh**!"

Apparently this Zetsu guy had some issues with being submissive.

.

Everybody, with your fists raised high  
Let me hear your battle cry tonight  
Stand beside, or step aside  
We're on the frontline

.

Sakura didn't want to do another interview. She absolutely refused to be in another room chained up like a raging animal next to the bloody jack ripper! Of course the administration said she could go screw herself and they would make her do what they wanted her to do. Thankfully, they wanted a field test with her next.

The jumpsuit was a bleach white and skintight. Thankfully it was made out of that spandex like material that athletes wore when running and playing so Sakura didn't find it uncomfortable in the least, just immodest. Her hands were covered in shackles bound in front of her, attached to a plastic chain that the white coats led her with.

The two leading her stopped outside a door where a third waited and they conversed for a minute before dragging her in. Sakura had only managed to hear a few words but they sounded to be of surprise and doubt.

The room was huge, several stories high and as big as a football field. The entire floor was plastic sounding under her feet and she wondered how badly it would hurt if she were to smash her face into it. They all stopped in the middle and released her chain but left the shackles on.

"Hey," she called out. "What about these things?"

"Remote control once we're safe."

'Once you're safe? What the hell does that mean?' Did they think she was going to jump them and steal their wallets or something?

Someone else was led into the room behind her. He was much taller then her with a body of a wrestler and the scars to prove it. He seemed like one of those guys that lived to perfect the body since it was so finely attended to with abs and pecks worthy of a small coven of cult like paparazzi. Something metal and thick was over his face and his ears.

The scientist unleashed him and then ran past Sakura, one being kind enough to tell her that the guy couldn't hear anything so she should use that to her advantage.

"Wait, use what?" Sakura asked, looking back over her shoulder.

She felt the wind and jumped back just in time to avoid getting hit. He swiped again and again with his fists, rapid fast. Sakura jumped backwards and stumbled on her feet with her hands still bound in the shackles. This guy was amazingly fast and twice her size at least an they expected her to fight him? Bonkers.

She fell backwards and he punched the floor where her head had been before she rolled away. She tried to swipe at his feet but it was like kicking at a metal pole. He wasn't moving. Reaching fast he grabbed her around the jaw and lifted her up off the ground with just one hand. Sakura tried to say something, to yell at him to put her down, but he didn't seem wiling.

Or he couldn't hear her.

It was a long shot but maybe if he could hear her he would put her down and leave her alone. Okay, it was a _really_ long, long shot but she had to try something. For all she knew they probably told him she was something she wasn't...or bribed him with something if he won. It's not like she _wanted_ to fight him. Maybe he felt the same way.

He slammed her into the ground and her world split like a screeching bird as the floor cracked beneath her. She was gone and she was present. She was everywhere and she was nowhere, existing in a billion broken particles as her senses reeled and scampered back together.

The man lifted her up once more ready to slam her into the ground but Sakura kicked him in the jaw with enough power to make him reel and release her. The metal under his chin chipped and broke off a bit. She kicked again then kneed him in the stomach, putting him off his rhythm. With her hands still shackled she raised those fists and brought them down hard on the contraption around his head.

She felt the heat in her fingers and her hands from pushing herself to her point of breaking but paid it no mind, since she was too far gone into her madness.

He struggled and fought back, swinging at her and landing blows most of the time, but she just took them and kept fighting back. Whatever it was that hugged his head it was hard. She hit with all her might but it only cracked till it was nothing but a glorified spiderweb around his face. Her hands were raw and bleeding and she saw it splattered over his face. The scientists or loon doctors had yet to release her shackles so her fists were still bound to on another by the wrist making it that much harder to fight.

_Perfect_.

He hit her once more in the gut and she felt it all over. She gasped, breathless, falling backwards with a thud. He loomed over her, taller and heavier with arms like tree trunks. She saw him bending down and growled while forcing her head back, hips up, and legs out. With both feet she put everything she had into that double kick to his face, breaking that thing once and for all.

The pieces fell all around the both of them but no one moved.

For one, Sakura could now see his face to the fullest without something to hide it and she had to admit it was fine. Strong jaw, even temples and a straight bridge of nose. His lips were pretty too. Not in a girly way, but in a healthy way.

He stared down at her for a while then jabbed out to grip her throat, startling her.

"No!" She choked loudly, shocking him so much he dropped her back on her butt. "Ugh...stop it. I don't want to fight anymore."

The man knelt down to be at eye level with her as she sat up, rubbing her throat and frowning to herself. She glared at him once she was sure he wouldn't grab for her again and he seemed surprised. Hesitantly he stretched out his fingers and brushed them over her lips. Sakura tried pulling away but his fingers followed. He poked her like she was a toy he had never seen before and tried forcing her mouth open. Sakura pulled away one more and accidently licked his finger when he followed.

"Yuck, stop it! What's wrong with you? Leave me alone now that you're done fighting. I'm tired and sore all over."

"Name."

At first Sakura wasn't sure if she heard him correctly since it was the first thing he ever said and it was gravel like. She stared at him so he repeated himself.

"Name?" This time it sounded like a question. His fingers brushed her lips lightly but pulled back.

She blinked once before regaining her senses. "Sakura...I'm Sakura. And you are?"

"...Zabuza."

Then the men in white came out to pull them away and send they to separate ends of the facility. Before the end of the day she would learn of his true nature and his famous killing trick known as hidden mist: silent killing, which was the reason they handicapped him.

"No one has ever survived in a match against him without the headgear."

.

He's always trouble with his noncomplacent  
Shotgun eyes, shotgun eyes  
His subtlety, his mystery  
Not like the other guys

.

Sakura closed her eyes and let her head fall backwards over the edge of her chair, tired and quiet. The people in front of her packed up their equipment and made sure the recordings of her voice were safe before making room for the newest member. Another scientist she didn't bother to remember the face of. He had glasses and silver hair and seemed to been one of the head guys as far as she was concerned. His eyes were deceitful and his smile reminded her of the men who screamed for no apparent reason. He was mad just like the rest of them but he hid it from the rest of society better than she did apparently.

"Am I done?" she asked.

"Zabuza will be thankful for those recordings I'm sure. You don't have to do any more."

"But...?" she could smell the request lingering behind his fangs. They had more plans for her no doubt.

"Ah yes. Well you see a few of the other inmates observed your tousle with Zabuza and would like an interview with you. After consideration we've selected two who we believe are stable enough for such an encounter."

Sakura stared at the young man through narrowed eyes and frowned. "I thought we were patients here."

"Excuse me?"

"You called them inmates."

He pushed his glasses up and the sheen blocked out his eyes. "Of course you are correct, but you should no forget that these men have all committed terrible crimes in one way or another. That is why they are here in this level."

"Nice to know that these are the guys you want me to hang out with. I'm almost frightened."

"I don't think you have any reason to be with your own abilities. These next two inmates are generally well behaved so long as they are kept apart from materials they can manipulate to their enjoyment. The one is a pyromaniac and the other is a cult-leader/ serial killer."

"Just the kind of people I want to spend my day with."

The door opened and two men stepped in to act as bodyguards to Kabuto. Sakura looked towards them and watched as one of them came over to take her chair. They were not allowed to leave anything behind she could kill herself with. A rough hand on her shoulder pushed her off and she landed on her hip, hissing in pain. Kabuto stood up quickly and gave the guard a stern look, stopping the brute in his tracks. Kabuto looked down at Sakura who was glaring up at them and then looked back at the guard.

"Leave the chair," he said, brushing dust off his collar. "We're taking Sakura to another cell for the night."

"But sir, the director never said anything about-"

"The director doesn't tell you to breath and eat. When he is not present I am in charge and I said we will be taking Sakura to a new room."

No one said anything for a while and the grunt workers seemed to submit. Then finally, "Yes sir, where would you like her."

Kabuto smirked to himself at the change in attitude and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "We'll put her in the room opposite the youngest Uchiha. He could use something new to stare at and it would be good to observe considering the reaction the other one had the only time he was dragged in front of her room."

Sakura's eyes narrowed, annoyed that she was being talked about like she wasn't even there. They were going to put her in a room where someone could watch her-an Uchiha, whatever that was. Where had she heard that name before? She racked her brain for a memory of someone being dragged outside her door and felt the pain behind her lids at her recollection of those bloody red eyes.

_Black stands of hair flew around his face and for a moment they parted enough to expose two piercing red eyes scarred with flecks of charcoal black. She saw the lids around his eyes expand in what seemed like surprise and his thrashing stopped as his whole body fell limp in the doctor's hands. His gaze was set on her and she could feel him looking at her more than see it for himself. It was a strange sort of gaze the man with long messy hair had. It was almost as if he could touch her or fell her with only his eyes._

"Shit..." she grumbled, letting her head fall back to hit the floor.

"Come on Sakura, don't make them carry you," she heard Kabuto say, even as she was picked up and throw over a shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

She didn't bother to count the doors between hers and the one they carried her off to. There were too many halls and her head was still throbbing in lingering pain from that man's searing eyes. She had never seen such a color before, even though she recognized it as red.

"Kabuto, where am I going?" she asked aloud, hoping the silver eyed snake was in a mood to treat her like a human. Sometimes she could get information from him on the other freaks locked up with her, sometimes she couldn't.

"We have three Uchiha here at this facility, all with some altering form of the same condition. Itachi Uchiha is the youngest, even though the middle one, Tobi, is frozen with the mental capacity of an eight year old." Kabuto looked over his shoulder at Sakura but didn't grin slyly like she expected him to. "The one who made a fuss outside your cell a few weeks back was the oldest of the three. His name is Madara."

They stopped and Sakura saw the corner of a door from where she was being held.

"Why are you leaving me with him then?"

Kabuto turned towards Sakura and reached out to grab a strand of her light pink tresses. He held it between his fingers before it fell out naturally. He didn't smile, but stood stoically as the guard carried her past him into the dark room with a dim outline of a mirror, or one of those one way mirrors. Sakura thought she might just be mistaken, but she could have sworn she saw Kabuto lift his fingers to his face and press them under his nose as if deep in thought...only not.

She didn't really get much time to think that over since she was thrown down onto the ground rather painfully and kicked away so the guards could back out with a lower chance of getting jumped. Her body was beyond sore at the moment.

The door closed with a loud bang and she was left in the gloom. It was not pitch black dark, but there wasn't enough light to see anything through the mirror. After a while her eyes adjusted and she could make out forms and what she thought was a body, but couldn't be sure.

Still on her back she coughed and almost choked on her own air. Her rips screamed violently and she had to roll onto her side to keep from experiencing too much pain. Blood fell from her mouth onto the floor and she had to struggle to wipe at it since her hands were still connected to each other at the wrist by a short chain of plastic.

A light came on overhead, not bright enough to hurt, but enough to illuminate color. She winced and moaned a bit, throwing an arm over her face to block it out. She didn't hear anything and from under her forearm she adjusted to the light in little to no time. With tired movements, she rolled her arm back and looked towards the wall with the mirror where she was positive there would be some sort of change to explain the illumination.

She was right.

He stood with hands pressed against the glass, his eyes a dim color of red. He was looking at her and she was thankful that his gaze did not hurt like the eyes of the older Uchiha. The male's eyes were younger and less developed.

He caught her staring at him and tapped the glass with one finger, not moving the rest of his hand off the glass.

Sakura dropped her arm back over her eyes, prepared to ignore him. Nothing happened for a long while, but eventually he tapped the glass again, and again, and again, and again. Ever three minutes without fail there would be that annoying _pat, pa_t on the glass and it was growing more and more annoying.

"What!" she cried, sitting up, unable to take it any more.

She winced at the pain in her ribs from the sudden movement and crumbled forward a bit, closer to the glass. She hissed quietly to herself, trying to suck up the pain into a hole in her mind where it could no longer hurt her. When she looked up he was crouched down in front of her on the other side of the glass with a concerned expression. Somehow she found that annoying.

"Che, like you actually care."

Quietly she lay back down and closed her eyes. There was no more tapping and after a while she was gone into sleep.

.

Before electric light,  
You paddled through the soup of darkness as a crocodile,  
Cherry picking in the river,  
I would leave crisp note footprints at the Bankside

.

Sakura didn't know what to expect after a shower and change of clothes by the female guards who were with her all the way to the community room where patients could hang out at their leisure. The madman she was set up with was one who preached perfection and slaughtered his small gang of followers in a manner she didn't want to have to hear about again.

Karin looked like she was having fun detailing all the bloodiest parts to Sakura. Of course that witch loved to see any other human in pain or discomfort, but somehow Sakura managed to make her way up to the top of her list.

Sakura was wearing a new jumper/bodysuit the same color as the bleached walls and floors with both hands stuck in a wrapped cloth and tied with more plastic chains. Her wrists were red and raw every-time she saw them these days.

The four female guards stopped and two took door handles and pulled, opening up the entrance to a well sized rec. room with bookshelves, pool tables and other such luxuries. A guard with a gun stood in every corner, watching a red haired man in the middle.

Hearing them come in, he looked up from his book and Sakura saw the light come into his coppery eyes the color of cinnamon. All of a sudden he was animated, moving towards her only to be stopped by the sound of guns clicking into action. He froze and grinned to himself, more annoyed than anything.

"You're here," he said, politely. "I've been waiting for you for the longest time. I was afraid that they wouldn't ever let us meet, but I've wanted this ever since I saw you first in that arena."

Sakura just nodded, eyes narrowed and distrusting. Sasori seemed to find that funny.

"Would you mind joining me with a game then?" he asked motioning to a chess table set up for the two of them.

Sakura would have like to refuse but the barrel in her back told her such a decision was unwise. She moved to the opposite side of the chess set and sat, glaring all the while at the redhead who seemed too pleasant to be trustworthy. Somehow Sakura had ended up behind the black pieces and had to wait for Sasori to move first before she could reply with a strike of her own.

"Do you know what the most painful level of hell is reserved for according to Dante?" he asked all of a sudden if it were the traffic he were commenting on. Sakura watched him for a moment as he observed the pieces and his possible move. He waited patiently for an answer, expecting one.

"Treachery if I remember correctly." Sakura moved one of her pieces forward, more concerned with the board than the conversation.

"Where do you think you'll end up?" Sasori asked, bring Sakura's eyes up to meet his own.

"I would like to think I wouldn't end up in hell, but if I had to say where I think I deserve to be, I'd been in Phlegethon."

"For violence?"

"No, I'd be one of those keeping the violent in the fire."

He laughed. "Delicious, coming from the hellcat who taught Momochi a lesson on the floor."

"Says the one who committed the second worst possible crime against humanity."

"Am I really the worst out there?"

"I'm having a hard time coming up with anyone that can beat you in treachery, Sasori of the red sand."

He didn't move any of his pieces. "Why?"

Sakura looked up from the board and glared openly at Sasori. "I'm nothing like you, so don't try dragging me down with your words. I didn't invite anyone over to skin them like dead animals."

"But is that really a sin when that is exactly what they wanted?"

"I have a hard time believing any of them wanted to become you puppets."

Sasori tiled his head to one angle, letting waved bangs fall around his eyes in a manner Sakura hated to admit to being what it really was. It was beautifle. He was beautifle, like a piece of art himself his bone structure was amazing and his eyes were captivating in a way entirely different from the Uchihas.

"They wanted immortality, I gave it to them."

"Lies."

"They were flawed creatures and they knew that."

Sakura violently jerked her piece forward on the board, ripping her eyes from his. She didn't dare look up again for fear of being sucked into the conversation. She hadn't meant to reply to anything he said to her, but it was just like being on the outside, talking about the dusty aspects of life most people her age didn't care for.

He didn't move his pieces but instead reached across the board and took her chin between his forefinger and his thumb. He lifted her face upwards and ran that thumb over her chin, lips and cheek in slow, sensual movements. It ignited a shameful aspect in Sakura and she wanted only one thing more than for him to leave her alone, and that was for him to keep on doing what he was doing. It was weird to be feeling such a way but she couldn't help it she was-

"No!" she hissed, pulling away, breathing hard. The guards moved a bit, but didn't step forward. Sakura kept breathing.

"...It's marvelous. Not even a scratch remains after what should have put you in the ground. There's nothing that can mar perfection. Ah yes, truly that is how it is."

Sakura just kept breathing, seeing only half through her bangs.

"You will live forever and you will be the embodiment of true beauty, more so than even my own art."

He moved one of his pieces.

"Checkmate."

.

Take your medicine and crawl before you walk  
Think it through before you open you open your mouth to talk  
Be an advocate of joy  
Find your little heart's desire and

.

They left her in the room with the big mirror in the wall again. This time nothing happened and Sakura doubted someone was even on the other side.

Sakura preformed more physical tests that were more like coliseum fights for an audience she couldn't see and recorded spoken statements on the days they let her rest. Or at least she thought they were days. She was told that sometimes, after a big fight usually, she would sleep for days.

Once or twice she woke up and saw Kabuto there, staring at her or playing with her hair.

Her hair was much longer than it was when she was first admitted and now spilled over her shoulders. It was lighter too, for some reason. She probably looked like a different person now. She wondered if it looked better long or if she should just get it cut. Would they let her cut it? They didn't let her do a lot of the stuff she wanted to.

"We want you to try out another field test with a second patient who has a disposition much like your own."

Sakura looked up from the table where she was cuffed. "So?" She had learned to be a better cynic.

"The other artists has had his meeting with you revoked for bad behavior, so testings scheduled for later on are being pushed forward. You endurance has been increasing at extraordinary rates, you should know," Kabuto said as a matter of fact.

"So, what should that make me feel?"

"You should have some pride."

"Kind of hard to hang on to anything, including your dignity, when you're stuck in a place like this. Pride isn't something I'm all too familiar with."

"You were the one who wanted out so early."

Sakura closed her eyes, feeling the emotional weight fall down her back. She practiced deep breathing and at times she could see and feel the maw that was the manifestation of her insanity, her other side. It was something new to her and she suspected it had something to do with how often she was forced and pushed to call upon that darker half of herself. She hated how close that part of her had grown and at times it made her sick to the point of insomnia. Sleeping was getting harder. She wanted to run away from it.

"How long have I been here?" Sakura asked in a whisper. Kabuto heard her all the same and knew she was talking about level D rather than just Domo.

"Four months."

She almost broke down crying. It felt like years she had been a part of the system. Members like Zetsu and Sasori were driving her crazy from all the forced interviews and fights with the other monsters were terrible. Zetsu made her frightened to sleep at night and Sasori was doing other things with her head on top of scaring her.

She fought Zabuza several other times and he seemed even more intent on hurting her if only to provoke her into smashing his headgear again. But then there were instances when she didn't fight back, just laid there in her own blood far too tired to move. Sometimes she seriously thought suicide might just make things better. During those times he would hold her, cradle her in his arms and try to get her to move. The memory dug up the feeling of his padded, fingertips brushing strands of her hair out of her eyes and blood off her lips. It was as if she were a wounded animal to him. He confused her and she wanted to run from him along with the rest of the hell.

"Four months is nothing to sneer at. You're that much closer to what you want, think of it that way, Sakura," Kabuto cheerfully stated from across the table.

Sakura looked up and glared at him. Of course he didn't want her gone. She was precious material for his experiments. What a sicko. "I won't miss you once I'm gone."

Kabuto didn't say anything to that. He just stared at her, oddly serious in expression. The playful grin suited for a snake was absent. He stared at her for a long while, saying nothing and Sakura felt her skin crawl in discomfort. Finally he spoke.

"I think it's time we escort you back to your room."

The process began again. The shoving, the dragging, the degrading march of chained animals in human flesh down bleached white walls, closer to the shade of bone than anything else. The security was low this time with only one guard aside form Kabuto. They walked down the hallways that split and crossed few yards, meaning there was an average amount of traffic. Sakura kept her eyes down and her hands close to her body. She didn't think anything too dramatic was going to happen.

The sound of bodies hitting the floor and wall were the first things Sakura heard. She turned to look to her left, down the hall where the chaos was birthing and felt the physical impact of seeing that color of bloody red framed by eyelashes.

"It's Madara!"

"Get him down!" someone shouted.

"Shit."

"Don't let him go!" said another.

It was like a hive of bees all of a sudden, with anyone and everyone swarming to get to the black haired man with the bloody red eyes. It was like watching an animal the way he picked up those bodies in white and tossed them aside as if they weighed less than a pound. His body captured power in a single essence and it was sucking the breath out of Sakura. She could feel it in her knees, the weakening under his eyes.

If she thought Sasori was beautifle this monster was gorgeous.

"Kakashi!" Kabuto screamed, taking Sakura's hands from the guard. Another body came up, more powerful than the others and more trusted by the silver haired snake. "Take her, take Sakura and keep her safe!"

And just like that Sakura was spirited away from that black hole and red eyes. She wasn't even running, he just picked her up and carried her bridal style like nobody's business. She didn't know to where she was taken, or for how long she was held, but soon it was all over and she was sitting against a wall with a heaving chest that couldn't seem to take in any more air.

"Breath," someone said. "Just breath and you'll be fine. Deep breaths...yeah, there you go."

Sakura looked up, noticing for the first time who it was she had been with. There was sweat beaded across her brown, sticking her bangs to her face. He had his hands on her shoulders and was keeping her from falling sideways.

She looked at him and saw a shock of silver hair, one eye of charcoal gray and a skintight mask that blocked out his mouth. Thick bangs came down a covered the other eye, but she thought she saw a sliver of it through the stands. He was older, but she couldn't tell by how much or if it made him handsome or below average.

"You okay now?" he asked.

"Who... who was that?"

"You seem fine now, glad to see you're out of shock." He let go of her shoulders and she sat up on her own. "That was another one of the patients, probably one of our most dangerous if not the most deadly."

"Eyes... he was a...an Uchiha."

The silver haired man looked back at her with a narrowed eye, seemingly interested where as before he was bored with playing baby sitter. Sakura's mind was fragmented and concerned with other things though, so she didn't notice too much until he called her out on it.

"What do you know about the Uchiha?"

Sakura shivered a bit under his tone. "N-not much. Just that one of them is always on the other side of my room. There is a mirror he can watch through but I've only seen him once or twice."

She saw his eye narrow. "Who are you to be paired up with an Uchiha?" Before she could answer he yanked on her cuffs and turned them so he could see her number. She saw the reaction in his whole body. "Shit, level D? No wonder you were all the way down here! I didn't know there were any female in this level. How long have you been here?"

"...Four months. Is that bad?"

Kakashi shook his head. "I've noticed that this facility likes to keep specific information from me more and more as the years go by. No doubt they have something on your head keeping you here. Something illegal..." His words trailed off as he turned her wrists one way. Sakura almost whimpered at the action just cause it rubbed the raw spots the wrong way. He had pulled the cuffs forward to see the red ring that was bleeding in some parts. He didn't look happy.

"Please let me go."

He blinked, surprised and released her. "Sorry, my bad. When was the last time they took your cuffs off? They're supposed to remove them when you're in your cell to avoid this."

"They forget sometimes, but I'm out doing sometimes almost every day." Sakura looked up and narrowed her own eyes. "What about you, aren't you a guard? Why are civil with me?"

Kakashi smiled through his mask and she saw his eye crease. "Now enough of that, let's get you back to your cell where you can rest and relax without those nasty things to rub you raw any more than they already have. I'll trust you enough not to drag you so come on." He helped her up with a hand under her arm and was surprisingly gentle.

He led her down the halls, deeper into the compound till they were in the stricter areas with thick doors and thicker locks. Sakura recognized her room as the one she shared with the youngest Uchiha, the one named Itachi, and stepped in. Kakashi followed after her, making sure the lights were all on before he unlocked her cuffs. They stung, peeling off, and yet Sakura was still attuned enough to hear the thud of fingers on glass. Kakashi looked up over her head and saw the young male standing there, a mute as far as anyone knew, starting at the red rings around Sakura's wrists.

"These will be better in a few days, don't worry," Kakashi said without looking at her.

Itachi was still staring.

.

Silently reflection turns my world to stone  
Patiently correction leaves us all alone  
And sometimes I drown in the night  
This engine's failing

.

Naruto huffed, leaning against the doorframe to Madara's cell in jeans and a casual long-sleeve shirt. The blond's hair was a wild mess but that only added to his good looks. He ran a hand through his hair and laughed bitterly at the sight before him.

"You're a real piece of work Uchiha, you know that. Someday you might just be too powerful for me to handle."

Madara didn't move from his crumpled heap on the floor, even though he was fully away and nearly unharmed. He could have jumped up whenever he wanted to and fought for another few dozen hours with the fox harboring brat of a young adult.

He could have, but he didn't.

No, his mind was too distracted for something like that. Thoughts and near fantasies of the girl that his eyes were drawn to and desired were all that he was made up of at the moment. The girl with the cherry blossom hair and eyes like freedom. She was a spirited goddess if ever there were such a thing. He didn't even need to see her fight to know that she was the embodiment of feminine power and might. He saw her and he knew, just knew.

And for that he loved her.

"Of please will you quit moaning to yourself, you're making me sick," Naruto complained like a child.

Madara didn't respond, even though he heard.

Naruto kicked the door with the toe of his shoe, showing off his boredom. It was always so much more fun when he could get a rise out of his prisoners. When they were flat like this it took all the fun out of his day. Naruto wouldn't have any of that! It pained him to have to tempt a lesser being with a fellow creature of divine origins, but it was probably the only thing he could do to move the oldest Uchiha to wake up and react like usual.

"If you act like that you'll never see my Sakura again."

Madara reacted, he rolled over just enough to stare over his shoulder at Naruto. "Sakura?"

"That's her name, the girl with cherry blossom hair. Fitting isn't it?"

"You said something about seeing her again."

"Did I?"

Madara growled like a wolf and felt the power in him rise.

Naruto just laughed, clearly amused. There wasn't any threat from just one other patient or prisoner. Naruto was the most powerful fighter in the whole building by a great deal. Madara was the one that came closest to being a threat but even he was less than a threat. Maybe with the right training and plenty of time, that Gaara kid, who was also a being of the same breed as Naruto and Sakura, might just rival the blond, but not at the moment. Narto was currently stronger than the red head by nine times.

"Cut it out, Naruto."

"Oh no, there you go addressing me without any respect. Don't you want to see her?"

The softening of the eyes was visible. He was filled with lovely images of her staring back at him from the other side of her cell door, of her walking down the hall with that bastard of a kid and another faceless scientist. She was perfect in his eyes. He _needed_ to see her again. There was no doubt in his mind.

"Itachi is already attached to her a good deal and she's planned to play with my other favorite tomorrow. You'll have your work cut out for you if you decide to peruse her. I'm sure those two idiot artists want to be with her as well but so far only one has been allowed a meeting and she didn't like him too much."

Madara snarled to himself, fighting the rising power of rage. Jerking in his movements he turned to face Naruto with dark shadows stretched across his handsome face. His knuckles were white and his fists clenched tight at his sides.

Naruto's grin was devious in nature and he really did resemble the fox spirit/god that was rumored to dwell within him. "You won't be allowed anywhere near her if you keep acting the way you are. Something is going to have to change."

Madara's eyes bled a deeper, darker red.

"What do I have to do?"

.

I got this feeling that they're gonna break down the door  
I got this feeling that they're gonna come back for more  
See I was thinking that I lost my mind  
But it's been getting to me all this time  
And don't stop dragging me down

.

.

.

.

.

.

* * *

AN: For **Stormdragon666** who was so awesome to request this. I kind of went overboard...I know I promised myself I would never do another long oneshot but I couldn't help myself in the end, I just had to do it! I really had no choice in the matter, the story demanded it. So yeah, this is not a oneshot. It is a three to five shot, but most likely a three shot. I do not' want to go overboard and spend a whole year on this.

other thoughts...

Okay, so the original MAD HOUSE story had a lot more too it, like stuff I threw out or rewrite and this is _some_ of it. Like, origionally I was going to start out with scens from Sakura inside Domo getting along with the guys and being beaten by Karin or going insane inside her cell. None of that seemed to work for me so I rewrote it and scrapped parts. 93% of this however is new and done with Storm in mind. I hope she likes it it, she deserves it for that sick adventure called **The Night Under**. Go read it, now!

Paper airplanes and fireflies, Fairy lights and forgotten lies They're all falling from the sky, Tumbling down from way up high. Answering my pitiful choking cries, So bloody cruel was my lover's lives


	2. Second Hell

**INSIDE THE MAD HOUSE**

"It seems like it was so long ago that I, Haruno Sakura, was in the danger wing of the nut house along with criminals and psychopaths that you really are better off not knowing about. I wasn't really insane, (I wasn't!) but I sort of have this alter ego that takes over when I get really man and she/I/we get super strong and super violent.

After sending three guys into a coma after they tried hitting on me, I was incarcerated with all these other psychos. I shouldn't have been put in the same breathing vicinity as any of those men, but that wasn't what was done. I was thrown into the very jaws of what seemed like hell. You wouldn't believe some of what went on in there.

WARNING: Language and AkaSaku and MultiSaku crack ahead. Really, you guys should know me better than this by now.

_Standard diclaimer applied._

* * *

.

Paper airplanes and fireflies,  
Fairy lights and forgotten lies  
They're all falling from the sky,  
Tumbling down from way up high.

.

She hated it.

Sakura hated how her face stared back at her from the other side of the glass. Her eyes were menacing and lined with black from all those God forsaken nights where dreams visited her in waking hours. She was having trouble falling asleep more and more often and it was no mystery as to why that was.

Her reflection smiled back at her cheekishly even though Sakura knew her face was frozen in a frown, too tired to lift into anything. Sakura hated her other half more than ever. Before coming to Domo it had been something she was only vaguely aware of, but now it was a very real and present nightmare.

Sometimes Sakura wondered who was the real persona and who was the fake, made up one. Did it matter in the end? Her quieter, reasonable, weaker side that knew how to work math problems and figure out puzzles was slipping away while the other half-the only who could throw pool tables across a hockey field-grew strong. Did it matter who was the true side, since it was becoming obvious that one side would devour the other if this kept up any longer.

'Queen and horse, baby, which are you?'

Sakura's face in the mirror tilted her head back and pressed her lips out as if waiting for a kiss. the hearted Sakura harbored against her other side grew just a tiny bit in that instant. She winked at Sakura, laughed and then faded out as a figure on the other side of the glass came close, disrupting the image.

His face was hard to see unless he pressed it close but Sakura was more than well acquainted with all the designs and lines that made up his fingerprints and scars. She knew those hands better than her own. The pointer finger, slender and pale, lifted and fell against the glass in a dull tap, but she didn't respond. He lifted his finger once more and somewhere in the back of her mind Sakura wondered if he had ever played the piano with those slender fingers.

'Are you okay?' was the silent message.

'Do I look fucking okay?' Sakura wanted to sarcastically bite back, knowing well enough that she looked worse than she ever had for reasons other than her lack of sleep and overwhelming stress. She was being torn apart on the inside two ways so of course personal hygiene wasn't the tipity top of her list at the moment. Her hair probably looked a mess sine the last time Karin and the others had taken care of it had been two days ago.

Sakura closed her eyes, squeezed them tight and looked away with a violent snap of her neck. Her whole body moved with that and tumbled over so that she fell against her side in a feeble ball that made her all the more pitiable. Breathing wasn't easy anymore.

The tapping continued behind her, faster than before. Was that guy really worried about her? What was wrong with him that he couldn't talk? He wasn't a mute, she had heard him growl and shot before. Maybe English wasn't his language. He looked Asian.

"Itai," she breathed aloud. 'Hurts.'

There was nothing but silence for a moment, not even tapping from his slender piano fingers. She closed her eyes, thinking herself stupid for expecting anything from her experiment. It wasn't like she really wanted to hear his voice...she just...it was only something to pass the time...right? Though, she had to admit, hearing his voice, the few times she had, had always made her feel somehow lighter and less stressed. It was a beautifle voice.

There was a shift in color behind the odd mirror and then... "Itai desu ka?" he whispered through the glass and straight to her brain, shutting down half of her frazzled systems to make for a peaceful night. 'Does it hurt?'

.

Look to the stars  
Let hope burn in your eyes  
And we'll love and we'll hate and we'll die

.

"Chhh-hh-hh," Sakura breathed through tightly clenched teeth as the ice water dripped down her bare and exposed spine.

At least she had the decency of privacy for once since entering level D. Karin and the other witch weren't there to wash her down like a dog so Sakura got to use the old bathrooms that just didn't have warm water. Isn't it nice how the care for her?

"Hurry up pinky, we don't have all day here!" Karin shouted through the door.

"That's what your mother said," Sakura hollered back before she could help it. She snickered when she her scuffling outside on the other side of the door.

Not caring what they would do to her, Sakura took her time and washed herself as best she could. Her face still showed sign of insomnia with dark linings and heavy lids, but it was nowhere near as bad as it once had been. Now she looked somewhat alive.

Sakura was zipping up the front of her bra when they came in. She had hardly a second to slip into the oversized white tee shirt before the male guards dragged her out and down the halls. Sakura struggled to straighten her dress of a shirt but made sure to pay attention to the rout. They were taking her somewhere she had never been before. What did that mean?

Large heavy doors protested loudly as the were pulled open from the outside, letting in a light Sakura hadn't been used to in many, many months. She hissed and buckled a little, finding the sunlight to be physically painful.

"It's early in the morning you'll get used to it," someone said in front of her. Sakura squinted but could only see the dress pants and fancy leather shoes. That was okay though, cause she didn't need to see who it was who was talking to her to know.

"Kabuto," she spit out like a curse.

"It's a pleasure to see you too, Sakura dear."

"I just had my breakfast, couldn't you wait till I digested a little," she sarcastically bit, feeling less and less herself as the comebacks rolled out of control and off her lips. She was loosing control to the warrior inside her-the animal biting at the chain, wishing to be free.

Kabuto didn't seem to mind the insult, since he just came up to her and grabbed a piece of her hair between his fingers. It was still wet and dripped rainbows in the sunlight from under the pads of his scared fingertips. That was interesting, since Sakura didn't take him for a fighting type. Was he more than he seemed?

Sakura pulled her face away from his hand but couldn't move enough with the men still holding on to her to free her hair. She felt like baring her fangs at him, if she had any.

"Are you here for any real reason or did you just miss my ugly face, Kabuto?"

"Would that be so bad?"

"Terribly."

He just smiled smugly and pulled away from her hair. "Lucky for you I do have a purpose for bringing you out here today and it's something you will probably like. You've been doing a lot of hard training for study, but we scientists need to observe every aspect of a patient's behavior, both good and bad."

"And this means?"

His glasses caught the light in just the right way to block out his eyes, making it harder to read his expression. "We're going to observe how you relax today. I suggest you enjoy it while you can, because it will be a while before you come back. The next week has a lot lined up for you."

The guards released her and he began walking away when Sakura called out to him. He turned to look back at her as she asked the rest of her question. "Is this really the outside?

His eyes were knowing. "Don't worry, we won't let you escape. There isn't anywhere you can run to anyway."

Sakura waited all three of them leave the way she had come, through those heavy metal doors that protested loudly. The doors closed and that was the last she saw of them for that moment. She stared at the doors for a long while, not believing it. Hesitantly she took her eyes away to scan the area. It was warm enough outside with a few exotic looking trees and plenty of grass everywhere. She didn't have shoes so it was nice under her feet. It felt good. She curled her toes and soaked up the sensation, feeling a bit more alive.

"Oh!" she breathed, tear of joy trapped in her lashes.

She took a long steep, stretching her legs and then another. She stumbled and fell, forgetting her modesty for a moment as she gripped the grass with her own two hands. She could smell the dirt and it was glorious. Was a jolt she was up again and running with a heart that had never beat so loudly. She screamed and jumped and ran forever and ever. She was on top of the world and then the world crumbled beneath her. Or in other words-she hit a glass wall.

So that was what they meant about there being no way she could run away. The glass wall was just another stupid mirror that showed her reflection. Her stupid reflection! She hated her reflection! She beat it with her fists and kicked it violently, screeching and tearing like a wild animal. The tears fell for a different reason and soon she was on her side screaming and crying into the grass, uprooted by her shivering fingers.

It took her a long time to calm down but when she did the guilt and dread hit her like lead. She was loosing her sanity in this hospital. She was more animal than she ever was and she couldn't help it. What would become of her if she continued this? How many more years could she take?

"Are you a girl?"

She froze, heart jolting in her rib cage. Slowly she turned her head over her should to see who it was that was talking to her. He sounded younger than he looked, but with the sun in her eyes she just couldn't tell.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"You look like a girl cause you're wearing a dress, but Tobi hasn't seen a girl in so long Tobi can't be sure. Are you a girl?"

Sakura frowned and rolled over before standing up straight. "Yeah, I'm a girl and this isn't a dress, it's just a long tee shirt."

"Where are your pants then?"

"I'm not wearing any pants."

"Why?"

Sakura frowned. "Why all the questions, what are you, like four?"

"Tobi isn't four, Tobi is Tobi!" he corrected, seemingly believing everything coming out of his mouth, despite the level of ridiculousness. He then turned his head to the side, sending sunbeams her way. "What is your name?"

Sakura lifted her hand and squinted. "Sakura, my name is Sakura. What are you doing out here Tobi? They said this place was for my relaxation, don't tell me your another patient here."

"Tobi doesn't know why he is here, he just is."

Sakura sighted, running a hand through her hair. Whoever this freak was he was seriously messed up. He spoke in third person and thought himself a child by his tone of voice. Of course she was in a nut house, so she shouldn't think it strange to meet odd people with issues...but seriously?

She shifted to the side a bit and tried to get a better look at him. He had short spiky black hair and orange tinted goggled to block out his eyes. They were childish and goofy looking on his pretty skin. The she saw the other side of his face, the one hidden by sunbeams. There were scars all the way down, spilling out like a spider's web. An accident maybe? It wasn't strange to believe that a serious physical injury to the head could impair special functions. Sakura remembered reading about a boy hit in the head with a log when he was 13. The kids called him 'touched' cause he remained mentally 13 the rest of his life.

Sakura felt a twinge of sympathy for the guy until she remembered what Domo was. The people inside were not ones you wanted to make friends with. Whatever it was, he had probably done something to get inside and Sakura didn't want to mess too much with those types of people.

She turned on her heel and began walking away in the opposite direction without warning or voice. Tobi saw this and stuttered to say something before running after her. She could hear him coming up behind her.

"W-w-wait please Sakura chan! Don't leave Tobi. Tobi won't be bad anymore, please don't leave him," he cried, jogging alongside her. She noticed that he was probably around her age if not younger. He was short for a guy, standing eye level with her. He would grow thought.

"Leave me alone, Tobi. I want to be on my own for a while."

"Did Tobi do something bad?"

"It's not you I just-"

"Tobi will be a good boy so please don't leave Sakura chan!" he cried, grabbing her arm with shivering fingers. The grip wasn't painful but Sakura could tell at once that it was desperate. He was shivering and through the plastic of his goggles she could see that his eyes were moist with tears. He looked like he would burst out in tears the moment she shook him off. What was his problem? Did he have abandonment issues? Anything could be possible in a nut house, after all.

"...What is it you want Tobi?"

"Tobi doesn't want to be left alone anymore. Tobi is always forgotten. No one wants to let him into his own home anymore, no one plays with Tobi or tells him anything. Please don't leave, Tobi promises to be a good boy and never do anything bad!"

"You're not...bad," Sakura murmured, feeling childish for giving in.

"Will Sakura chan play with Tobi then?"

Sakura stared behind her at the glass wall that stretched up higher than she could ever jump. There was no way she was getting around or through that thing and the white coats knew that. It was there to taunt her, it seemed. She felt a tiny flare of anger in her gut when she looked at the wall, so she pulled her eyes away and mentally grounded herself. She wouldn't loose to herself. She would remain in control and persevere with all the rationality she knew how to use.

Tobi still clung to her arm, but at least his fingers weren't trembling anymore. Sakura looked him in the eye and knew that this person wasn't any more dangerous than her. She wouldn't be in any harm so long as she was outside since this is where they wanted to study how she relaxed. They probably knew Tobi was outside and planned on using him on her. She sighed heavily. "...Sure. Fine, I'll play something with you Tobi. I don't care."

"Sakura chan is the best, Tobi loves Sakura chan!"

"Oph!"

.

Honest to God I'll break your heart  
Tear you to pieces and rip you apart

.

Sakura was at her limit. She didn't know how much more of this she could take standing still. There was blood dripping down her forehead between her eyes and over the bridge of her nose but she didn't bother to wipe it away. It's not like she could if she wanted to anyway. Her hands were in locks chained to bolts in the floor. The most she could rise them was to her chest.

'How the hell does this qualify as an experiment?' Sakura thought to herself as more and more of her sanity slipped away. Kabuto had said her trials would be stepping up in the next week, but Sakura thought she would at least have some ability to fight back. Being chained down and beaten was not her idea of a fair experiment.

Karin snapped her fingers and held out her hand impatiently. A smaller assistant ran up with a clipboard and pen for her to take notes down. Sakura liked to imagine all Karin was doing was entering logs in her high school diary. It made the pain more bearable.

"Good, now we are going to test pain resistance with a smaller concentrations point," the red haired witch commented into a hand recorder. The pink haired girl looked up through the blood and wished with everything in her that she could bite the red head's face off.

The needles came out and Sakura braced herself against the chains, determined not to give in and withhold that pleasure from them. She bared her teeth and breathed though her nose with eyes squeezed shut, feeling the pin pricks enter into her one by one. Karin pushed them in slowly then dragged them out, numbering each area and photographing the process.

"Any of this hurting you yet?" she asked sweetly."

"Only your voice."

"I'll just have to try harder then."

And she did. Sakura really wanted to break down and just give in, cause that was when the process would end, but she didn't dare. The wound to her pride would be to great to bear. Pride was all she had left in this place without freedom or hope.

"Alright we're done with this. Let's move on to temperature after the shackle testing. Aoi, release the first level of chains and just leave the plastic on. I want to see if she has anymore strength, since we knew she could easily break free with only this little holding her back."

Karin was having fun taunting Sakura.

The girl named Aoi ran around and inserted odd little keys into the ground, unlocking different parts of the chains that held Sakura down. The green eyed girl stared up at Karin through narrowed eyes, knowing what this so called _strength_ test was all about. Karin wanted Sakura to run, so they could chase her down with all the means alloted to them. It was terribly hard to refuse but Sakura knew she would have to if she wanted to get out with the bare minimum of pain.

Her shackles fall to the floor with a clang loud enough to shake the walls it seemed. Or maybe that was just her dehydration talking. When was the last time she ate without throwing up? Where was the water she was supposed to have? She was burning up.

"See if you can break free, Sakura dearest?" the witch cooed.

"Bugger off, shithead. Your face is pissing me off more than your voice." she coughed in reply.

"Looks like she needs a little motivation, eh?"

Karin then came up behind Sakura and before she could turn her head to see what was happening she felt her skin melting under the electric heat as she was zapped for three full seconds. When you are getting tazed at such a high voltage three seconds is a long, long time.

"Fuck you!" Sakura laughed, feeling pain spread to her eye lashes. She wanted to cry it hurt so bad but she wouldn't.

"It looks like you didn't feel that."

Karin zapped Sakura again, but the green eyed girl kept it in, only to curse the woman once it was over. Karin turned the device up another notch and the assistant tried stepping in to stop it, claiming that they weren't allowed to go so high on their tests. Karin just shoved the girl aside and burned Sakura again with the lightning, and then again, and again, till her heart was fluttering erratically and off beat in her chest. She wanted to tear the building apart she was so worked up.

Sakura probably would have broken free if what happened next didn't happen.

Red lights and alarms went off overhead an froze both doctors in place. There was shouting outside and screaming like nothing else. Aoi ran to the door and looked out. Guards were running one way and scientist another. She stopped one and asked what had happened.

"Breach. The new guy they're bringing in just snapped and now he's tossing bodies into the walls and messing this place up real bad. You guys should get out while you can. Someone said they would need the other patients to take this guy down."

"He's really that strong?" Aoi asked.

"One of the strongest I've seen and then he doesn't feel pain. Someone is sending for Zabuza and Kakashi now I think, but they're in another building entirely!"

Karin looked back at Sakura and smirked. "Yeah we had better get out to someplace safe. Leave the pink one in here on her own for the time being. She'll be fine."

The building shook and the two white coats slipped out with a yelp and scream from each. Sakura closed her eyes and breathed deep, enjoying the little time alone she was blessed with. There was no silence, unfortunately, since there were plenty of screams and cries outside the small room.

It was close to four minutes before anything else exciting happened. And by exciting, the author means a faceless scientist smashing through the walls and sailing over Sakura's crouching body to land in a bloody mess. It didn't look like he would be getting up anytime soon, poor prick.

Sakura looked up, body crouched to see a tall man with violent eyes and a heaving bare chest stand amidst the rubble. His hair was white and slicked back, showing off the frightening purple shirt was gone, ripped to shred, so he just stood there in his black pants and shoes, looking fine. He looked at Sakura and then spit.

"Give it fucking back, bitch!" He then leaned in and charged at her, air hissing with his speed.

Sakura cursed and ripped herself free from the floor, pulling up chucks of cement and dust. She hit the floor and rolled with it, popping up to find her feet beneath her and her body rigid, ready for another attack. He already had another hole in the wall.

"What the fuck is your problem?" she screamed, backing up. She was agitated and in no mood to be messed with.

Whoever this jerk was he wasn't in the mood to be talking. He got right back up and ran over to her with fists faster than bullets. Sakura took one to the gut but dodged the first two. She coughed, skidding back against the wall. He came at her and before she knew it, his fist was clean through in that place where her head had been. Crouched down she reached out and punched him upwards in the gut, sending him back. She stood and started rolling with the rhythm of the punches. One after another she fought him till they were in the hall. He caught her last punch and twisted her arm.

"That tickled," he breathed before throwing her on her back over his shoulder.

Sakura landed with a crunch and then hissed, scrambling to turn and recover but he was already there, reaching for her and plowing her body into the wall. The wall didn't hold and she went tumbling through empty space. She rolled on and then off her back, finding her feet and her anger before he could hit the ground in front of her. They were in one of those training fields with matted flooring. He so had it coming to him now. Who cared if he couldn't feel pain, she would pummel him body into a raisin.

She could feel it in her, the fire birthing, igniting, growing, burning. She screamed and it sounded like a wild cat's declaration of war. Her lips were peeled back over her teeth and she charged with that war cry still on her tongue.

She must have been high.

Faster than he had ever seen any living thing move, she was behind him and then in front of him again, pounding into him like dough. A knee caught him and sent him flying one way only to be stopped by an elbow in mid air, he changed direction when a heel drove him deep into the floor. She never allowed him time to recover. He was picked up and thrown face first into the floor, then across the room. She was on him, burning up with feverish skin and blank white eyes.

He had never seen anything so beautifle in all his life. He tried fighting back, but after seeing her fired up like that it was a lousy, half hearted effort. Really, he just wanted to protect himself at this point... and watch her continue. She was like a lioness or some other exotic cat that came out him with inhuman strength. She was fast too. If he was a normal man he wouldn't be able to keep track with his eyes, but he could see flickers of her, gliding over the ground with her head and torso down, digging up dust and rubbled from where she tore up the floor. Like a winged lioness...

She sent him flying with a wild inhuman cry.

He landed in a huddle and though he still could, he didn't want to get up, just watch her. She stood proud with legs braced apart and chest heaving with breath. Sweat added a sheen to her exposed legs and arms, seeing has how she was wearing short white shorts and a cami/bra. Her hair seemed to be alive, waving around her with electricity. She could rule the world like that, bring anything into reverence with just the sight of her flying face. She was...she was...going down.

The white coats' guards trickled into the rooms with guns shooting darts into Sakura's back. She snarled and clawed at them but her knees buckled and shook, sending her forward. She tried to remain upright, tried to remain dignified, but the drugs were already in her blood. She still was breathing heavily into the ground when Hidan tried to stand.

Somebody pushed him down with their heel. Hidan shorted and tried to fight back but blood red eyes paralyzed him and put him back on the ground, still wide awake to see and witness all that went on. "Stay where you are, you white trash."

Two of the head guards filed in, encouraging everyone to put their guns down. The one with the eyepatch looked to be in charge but there was younger kid with brown hair and eyes that looked like he knew what he was doing too.

Sakura looked through her lashes and saw the familiar figures and found a bit more of her sanity before the drugs revved up. That was Kakashi and his friend Yamato. If they were here than she would be fine. She trusted Kakashi at least. He was a guy with sense.

Almost but not quite asleep she felt someone lift her up into their arms as he/ or she sat down beside her. She was dragged on a lap and cradled like a babe, all the darts pulled free from her arms and back. She couldn't see anything anymore but she could feel. He had long hair tickling her face and rough hands. Was he calling her name? Was that what she was hearing beyond the waves in her head.

Madara brushed a damp lock of hair away from her face and traced his fingers over her bone structure. His fingers began to tremble when they got to her lips, chapped and blistered as they were from lack of water. And she sweat so much, what was left to nourish her body?

"Kakashi! She needs water hurry," he cried, never allowing his eyes to leave her face. She was too small and fragile in his arms. Who would have guessed that only moments ago she could have destroyed whole armies on her own. She was such a small,young thing compared to him.

One of the nameless guards came back with some water and Madara took it, never minding the other two experiments tricking into the room in case Hidan really did get out of control. Madara had never been summoned, after all. He came on his own. He tried pouring the water into her mouth but she wouldn't take all of it so he took a swig of it himself and preformed mouth to mouth to get her to swallow what she needed.

"More water, she's feverish!" He threw the empty cup over his shoulder and hoped the loons would do as he said. "You'll be fine now. They won't risk loosing you."

"Karin and Aoi were supposed to have her today. It was their fault to abandon her," Kakashi said, coming over with a handkerchief to wipe her face. Madara allowed it only because he knew Kakashi wasn't the type to get attached to girls. Still didn't mean he liked sharing his Sakura.

"What were they doing with her?" Sasori asked, coming up with Zabuza behind him. Madara tightened his hold on her.

"Where is that blasted water? It's obvious she was dehydrated from the start," he hissed.

"Karin isn't known for keeping her charges in good health," Kakashi sighed. "From the burn marks on her back, it looks like they were testing out her resistance without rules. The woman went too far this time. The director is not going to like this."

"Whorish witch," Madara grumbled.

"Will she be alright? She took a lot of drugs to the back." Sasori said, while Zabuza just stared on. He looked concerned just like Sasori and Kakashi. Madara was the only one who appeared angry and maybe a little desperate to make her better.

Kakashi scratched his chin then stood. "That was also stupid, but she should be fine if the fever doesn't last too long. Bring her Madara, we need to get her to the medical wing now." The long haired Uchiha just nodded before picking her up and carrying her out of the room.

.

Whatever you do, don't be afraid of the dark  
Cover your eyes, the devil's inside

.

* * *

AN: For **Stormdragon666** who was so awesome to request this. Second chapter, yeah sucker! Love it. The song Night of the Hunter and This is War by 30 seconds to Mars were my best friends for these fight scenes. They are something shy of epic! And Muse...I like Muse, (the band) since they are sick and ever so helpful for reaching that higher plain in writing when it all just flows out of you without struggle. I love how easily this comes for me with music. Music makes it all the much better. What are you all listening to? Suggestions please.

Remember this is all done with Storm in mind. I hope she likes it it, she deserves it for that sick adventure called **The Night Under**. Go read it, like now, and if you have already read it, read it again and review, cause everyone loves reviews. Reviewing is good, so do it. Do it. Dooooo it.

Vesper chan


	3. Third Hell

**INSIDE THE MAD HOUSE**

WARNING: Language and AkaSaku and MultiSaku crack ahead. Really, you guys should know me better than this by now.

_Standard diclaimer applied._

* * *

.

Her fever didn't last long, and as soon as she was healthy, she was back on the floor, running, flying, fighting and just trying to survive.

.

By the time the dark cloud had cleared she was somewhere different. The last thing she remembered was a shot in the shoulder that didn't put her to sleep, but put something hot into her blood. She remembered feeling high and hot and weightless and...and...? What else? She was mad and energized and somehow she remembered loosing it to that other side of her before they left.

The room around her was a mess.

_Shit_! _What have I done_?

She could feel her heart beat pick up as the panic set in. She didn't like it, she didn't like it at all. It was terrible to feel someone else control you from the inside out. It was a sad form of slavery that destroyed bits and pieces of her spirit with each and every day.

"You transitioning speed is faster this week. At this rate you'll be able to switch out in less than a second before the next month is over," Kabuto said, walking into the room with pink and yellow papers in one hand. "You're doing great Sakura."

"You...where are the others? It seems like you're the only one running any of my tests these days. What happened to Karin and Anko? Genma hardly ever shows up anymore even."

Kabuto's smile faltered. "The way you speak it's as if you don't like my visits. You have to admit I am the lesser of all evils, right? I don't torture you like Karin and hardly ever push you as much as that she-man Anko."

"What did you do to them?"

His smile was completely gone now. "I asked for this...you don't have to worry about them and get all suspicious. Really, the way you look at me you would think I'm not trustworthy or something."

"That's not funny."

"Sakura you aren't making any sense. I'm not such a villain as you would like to see me as. Haven't I at least elevated your opinion of me slightly since our first meeting?"

"I'm not stupid enough to double cross you if that's what you mean."

Kabuto looked a cross between offended and angry now. "I don't want that sort of-"

Whatever he was going to say was cut off by the sound of the metal doors opening up behind him. Two guards rushed in and slapped shackles over Sakura's wrists, rather roughly. She looked tired between the two of them, slumping sideways and letting her head roll to the side.

Kabuto rearranged the papers in his hands and adjusted the collar of his coat. The two guards were about to buckle more plastic restrains around her neck when he coughed loudly, stopping them.

"That won't be necessary, she's drained enough as she is. I doubt she'll be able to do much more than drag herself back to her cell."

"You sure? We won't get fined for this later."

"I'll take care of it," Kabuto said, taking the lead from them and ushering Sakura out. They followed, of course, but at a distance where they couldn't quite hear a conversation.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked after a while.

"What does it look like?"

"...Honestly, it looks like you are trying to get on my good side." _Or in my pants_

"Is it working?"

"Not really."

He made a face. "Sakura, you can't-"

"Don't!" she hissed under her breath, cutting him off. "Don't even think like that. I'll never trust you, I'll never trust these inmates, I'll never trust anyone who has anything to do with this hell hole, so you can save your breath. I'm not doing you any favors."

"I don't want any favors I just want you to trust me a bit more. Hell, Sakura, I'm not a bad person. I'm trying to help you."

She rolled her eyes. "That's a load of bull and we both know it."

Kabuto shook the lead that connected to her shackles in frustration. "You can't deny the fact that since you have been transferred into my care your handling has been better and no where near as bloody. Does that not mean anything to you?"

"You're still shooting me up full of drugs and forcing me to go crazy in your little rooms. If it's not one way it's another so don't act like you are a holy saint for saving me, cause you didn't. I'm not about to thank you for anything."

"I can't let you go and these experiments need to be done one way or another." He sighed as they neared her room. "Sakura, at least understand that I don't have to be like this. I could be just a cruel and sadistic as the others here but I'm not. I can be...but I'm not. If I were you I would think that over before we next meet."

She didn't miss the threatening tone.

"Sakura?"

She turned her head slowly towards his, eyes cold and steely. She set her jaw and looked back away, not wanting to see him any more than she had to. "This is my room, you can let me go now."

Kabuto led her into her room and made a show of taking extra long to take her restraints off. She tried pulling away once they were all off but he grabbed her arms and jerked her in place, keeping her from running away. She closed her eyes and turned her head as far away from his as possible. She could still hear his breathing. She felt his head lower against the side of her face and into her hair. She didn't know if he kissed it or not, but after a moment he released her, letting her fall to the floor, before storming out.

Sakura pulled herself into a ball and shivered where she lay, eyes closed in a pathatic attempt to block out the figure who watched her on the other side of the glass with thirsty red eyes.

.

"This is so stupid."

"I'll agree with your judgment of the establishment being idiotic but even more so than that I would think it is...greedy," Sasori said while watching the Go pieces she moved. He was winning but it was obvious that she just didn't care. If she actually wanted to do something with the game she might have played better.

"I don't want to know what they are greedy for aside from power." Sakura sighed and closed her eyes, moving one of her pieces with little intention of making it useful to the rest of her pieces. Her mind was still fragmented and in spite of her clean exterior, she felt frazzled, broken, and dirty. "I don't want to know or have anything to do with them once I'm free of this place."

"Do you believe you will ever be truly free?"

She turned to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"You have been changed...altered. A part of you that was sleeping is now awake and we can all see you fighting with it."

She raised an eyebrow, putting on her poker face. "Really? And you can tell this by how?"

The red head looked up through his long lashes and grinned, causing a part of Sakura to mentally curse at how beautifle he looked just then. A man shouldn't be putting that many females to shame with just one look!

"Sakura, there are two sides to your being. There is your mind and there is your spirit. You have such an amazing mind when you choose to use it. I am delighted I had the chance to encounter it while trapped in here, but your mind does not always rule you. You have a wild cat trapped in that chest of yours, screaming for freedom and fights. Whenever you switch from one personality to the other there is pain...and then regret and shame. I've seen it before."

"Has it ever occurred to you it might actually be physically painful."

"Baby, you are a Spartan when it comes to pain, you wouldn't make faces like that for anything other than anguish. You are disgusted by what you see yourself becoming, and you fight it."

"I think you've given this a bit too much thought, Sasori."

He frowned, suddenly looking down at the pieces once more. "No...I am concerned for you. If you do not find some way to make peace, the conflict will tear you apart and after that I don't know what will happen."

"You're funny." She moved one of her pieces with a sleepy grin.

He watched her for a while, wishing she would take his words into his heart and pay attention to the warning signs all around her. These people that claimed to be helping them, the men in the white coats, they were just pushing her closer and closer to the edge of her sanity. How long would it be before his beautifle angel fell over and lost herself in the free fall?

Thanking about it was making him crazy, no pun intended.

What else did he have to look forward to at Domo other than the pink haired amazon who so often fought and wrested her way to victory in the arenas they called testing cells? No one else was nearly as interesting, and hell, she was the only chick that wasn't devilishly evil for dozens of miles. There were one or two other cell members he would consider sparing if he had the opportunity of slaughtering them all, but none of them meant more to him than Sakura.

"You don't believe me, do you?" the red head sighed.

"Sorry, but no. I mean, no offense, but you're not my best friend. I don't trust anyone here, remember?"

He smirked. "I don't think it would be as fun if you trusted me right away."

"Whatever floats your boat."

He moved one of his pieces across the board, advancing on her weak defenses. The sound of wood on wood scraping across one another was light and soft to the ears, but both heard it well enough. After a few moments of silence, Sasori thought it a good time to speak up once more.

"There is... another criminal who has a condition almost identical to your own. At least that is what the white coats are saying. The symptoms line up and so do the effects."

She picked up a piece but didn't put it down. Her emerald eyes were narrowed and aimed at the red head sitting across from her. "What kid?"

He shrugged, pretending not to enjoy the attention she was showing him. He wished he had such interesting rumors more often if she was going to look him up and down every time he had something to say. "His name is Gaara...and he's ape shit crazy if you ask me. He's been 'sick' much longer than you so his condition is all the more deteriorated."

"And you know this how?"

"They are planning on putting you two in a room together soon."

She set her piece down and watched without speaking as he replied with a move of his own. He looked up, watching the shadows move across her face as she fought to keep her poker mask on. Even struggling, she was captivating. A mesmerizing piece of art.

"What was his name again?"

"Gaara. Gaara Sabuka. Watch out for him."

"You think he could lick me?"

She meant beat, but the mental image that popped into Sasori's head was not one that had anything to do with fighting. He frowned and shook that thought away. It wouldn't due to envy a fantasy. "I do not know. As it stands now, he is stronger than you, but he isn't getting stronger while you are becoming more and more attuned to your strengths."

"How long till I close the gap?"

"A month, maybe more if they push you over the edge. Do you want that?"

She shrugged. "Who doesn't want power?"

He could feel himself smile and almost laughed. "Were you not tarnishing this fine establishment for similar thoughts?"

"Yeah, well Domo doesn't have men feeling you up and molesting you while under the cuffs, now does it?"

His smile fell to pieces and a angry scowl twisted into place as his eyes darkened. "What?" he snarled.

Everything else in the room seemed to snap into attention and stiffen at his change. There was something in his eyes normal men didn't have. It was another animals roaring for the honor to fight for his mate and destroy all other competitors.

Sakura made her move and crossed her arms over her chest while leaning back in her seat. "What? You didn't actually think they were nobel men without temptations, did you? Oh, don't make a scary face like that. I haven't been raped yet and I can guarantee you, if it ever came to that, contract or no contract, I would not leave this place alone like I have been. Most of the crazies here could do a whole lot more damage then they limit themselves to. Zabuza...Hidan...those freaks. I don't understand why they all hold back. What keeps them here?"

He loosened up, but didn't pull back his glare all the way. "A number of reasons, I'm sure. Some feel guilty, others are bored, many don't want the outside world anymore."

"And you?"

A fair smile edged out his glare and he returned t the game, moving a piece without much thought. "I have something more interesting to keep me here than anything the outside world could offer."

The door behind them opened and a pair of white dressed men walked in. They were for Sakura of course. The sight of them upset Sasori so much he almost got up and strangled them then and there. But as always, he hid his nature and kept his desires in his head. He would have his day when he and his piece of art could live without interruption or time limit.

"Back to the cell missy. You have another appointment tomorrow with that pyromaniac so boss wanted you getting rest early."

Sasori frowned and almost stood up upon hearing this. "You're seeing Deidara tomorrow?"

She looked like she couldn't care less while standing up. They were getting read to put the shackles over her hands when she moved her last piece up the board. "I guess so. I couldn't really remember his name or anything else about him. Double check me on that move, but I believe that's checkmate."

He glanced down at the board and almost laughed out loud. She was right.

.

"I though you said I was going to be meeting that Deidara kid today?" Sakura grumbled from the end of her leash. Kabuto, of course, was the one leading her and tugging her along.

He replied without looking back. He had been acting like that ever since the hair sniffing incident. He was stiff and standoffish as if he had known he crossed a line and couldn't fix it.

He cleared his throat. "You are, don't worry. He will be there. I never said you wouldn't be meeting him today."

"But you're tossing me in a room of a dozen other nut jobs. I thought this would be like it was with Sasori; a sit down conversation study for you dudes."

"Sasori and Deidara are two of the most similar patients here at Domo, but they are also two of the most diverse. The study we had you participate in with Sasori would not be as helpful with the obnoxious blond you are about to encounter."

Sakura grinned a little bit to herself hearing Kabuto's tone. "It sounds like you don't like him too much...but then again, you don't like much of anyone, do you?"

"Today you will be in a combat situation. Do you need anything else before going in?" he asked, ignoring her last question.

"If I said yes would you get it for me?" She asked, feeling weird all of a sudden. No one ever asked her if she needed something. That sort of thinking just didn't exist in human beings aside from maybe Kakashi. What was Kabuto up to?

"It would depend on what it was," he replied.

"I'd like some music then."

"What type?"

She was surprised that he bothered to ask, since she didn't think he would do anything for her. "Jazz. You ever hear of the Seatbelts? That's what I'm in the mood for these days."

"Jazz?" he asked, sounding impressed. They stopped outside of a door that house muffled noises seeping through from the other side. More fighting. "I had you pegged for more of a mainstream girl."

Sakura huffed, rolling her shoulders and getting ready. She didn't like fighting, but after so much of it, she knew that it was better if she just threw herself into it and gave it her all. Holding back only seemed to get herself hurt. She needed to be smart if she wanted to survive long enough to get out in one piece.

When she didn't reply, Kabuto lowered his eyes and started to undo her shackles. "Deidara is the blond one. We want to see his reaction, so you might want to avoid him and focus on the other subjects. Be careful."

And with that the door shot upwards and Sakura found herself on a ledge of all things. Caught of guard she almost stepped back, but Kabuto pushed her forward, sending her falling. She cursed and recovered in time to roll into a ball that uncurled after hitting the floor. Her back screamed, but she was otherwise unhurt from the impressive fall.

Somehow she knew to roll away to avoid getting hit in the face by a club.

"What the hell!" she said aloud, scrambling to her feet. "They have weapons!"

Her head snapped back and her body curved to avoid another swipe of the billy club. Before another attack could be launched by the nameless inmate she raised a leg and twisted it around the man's neck, pulling him closer to her body and then to the ground. She kicked the weapon out of his hand and moved back, getting ready to fight fists with fists when something buried deep into her side.

_From behind!_

Another guy was behind her with a baseball bat. She was stupid to forget about the other ten or eleven guys that were running around hitting each other up. In the middle of the room were a bunch of guys with half of them being blond. Yet, she still, somehow, managed to know which one was Deidara.

The one with the long pony tail throwing fire around like it was his favorite thing to do in the world. He was the only one there with those wild eyes of a mad man.

She grabbed the bat before it could hit her again and pulled, throwing the body behind it onto the man she had pulled down earlier. They got up together and tried to rush her. She didn't run, but flipped one over her back and took the other one down with a punch to the face. She could feel the bones collapse around his nose and felt a little sorry for him.

The next guy was taken down a little neater.

More men were closing in on her, seeing her for the first time and she felt something inside her jump and try to claw out. Her skin began to turn a darker shade of gray and her vision began to fade away.

NO!

She choked back the second presence and fought with herself. She wouldn't be taken over, she wouldn't be controlled. This was her body and there was only one mind that would ever dominate it. She growled and took after the first guy, feeling the lack of strength that came with the other side of her. Still, she would be strong enough to keep herself alive.

Two took her from behind and something buried deep into her stomach. A fist.

_You are loosing this way. Don't be stupid. Strength isn't the only thing I give you. Where's your speed now?_

Sakura hated hearing that voice that sounded so much like her own echo around in her head. "I won't let you rule me anymore," she grunted aloud, feeling another fist take to her stomach.

_Foolish child, I'm not trying to rule you. I just know better. Now let me out so I can protect my body._

"It's my body!" The were pummeling her from behind now, abusing her kidneys.

_It's my home as well. The sooner you accept that the sooner we will be able to work together in the future. _

And that was all Sakura every got before she was overpowered from the inside out. With ever swipe of pain her control slipped a little more before she was locked out fully from all her motor skills. She had lost control once again.

"NO!"

Four men went down in three seconds. Her hands flew and tore into the wind, taking flesh and blood with them. One had a blunt knife that only ended up cutting into his own neck where the blood flowed faster and stronger than anywhere else. Red showered the whole room, drawing some unwanted attention.

Deidara looked up and watched over the bodies that were burning up under his feet, still somewhat alive. He liked leaving them alive as long as possible so they could watch him and give him the attention he thought he deserved. He liked being looked at and thought of, even if it was in a bad light. That's why he became a serial bomber, killing his foster family and many others along the way. He loved attention, but right now he wasn't getting it.

She didn't seem like anything when she fell into the pit of a training room, but all of a sudden her skin started to change color, to an ashy gray, and before anyone knew it, blood was raining down. She was wild with wide, white eyes that couldn't see anything except everything. Her hair was flying away from her face, stained red like fire.

Ash skin, white hot eyes and bloodied red hair...she was a flame, eating up the whole field, consuming unforgivingly.

He didn't know what this heightened feeling in his chest was. He had never felt it before, but he didn't bother to find out what it was. He just chalked it up as rage and raced forward, ready to consume that living fire girl.

She looked to him, his heart dropped, and threw a dead body towards his racing figure. He threw one of his clay explosions towards it and ripped it apart before it could get halfway. In the smoke and the confusion they both moved; her to the side, him forward.

She screamed and he tossed bombs at her face, missing by a wide mile as she zoomed to low to the ground. He cursed and searched for her, heart picking up as he focused everything on finding her. She was moving too fast all around him!

The flames from the dead bodies around him flickered and shrunk. Deidara looked down and gasped, feeling it in his lungs too. She was sucking the oxygen out of the air, stifling his flames.

"How...?"

But she stopped before his knees could give out and landed on his chest, feet first He soared backwards and collapsed. He didn't get up, but he could have. He just lay there, watching her stand there. She was staring at him too and he liked that.

She took a step back and made a move to turn away.

"Look at me!" Deidara screamed, stopping her.

He didn't know why, but more than anyone else, more than mom and dad, more than the girls who turned him down, more than the teachers that failed him, more than any of them, he wanted her to look at him. He wanted her to see him. He didn't feel anything in comparison to the feeling he got when her wide, white eyes were on him.

Eyes with no pupil, no iris.

Her shoulders shook and she looked away, falling to her side, obviously in pain. Something was wrong with her skin as well.

"No!" he said, rushing forward to kneel over her. He picked her up and held her, making sure her face was turned towards him. She was hot to the touch, almost hotter than his flames.

"Damn it," he cursed when he saw her eye fluttering closed. "Damn it, stay with me. Keep your eyes opened!"

"Wha..?" she breathed, forcing her eyes opened once more before they finally closed.

They were green.

.

Deidara sulked, being led into the library where his 'friend' waited for him with his stupid books and chess sets. Sasori looked up when he heard the door open. He raised an eyebrow at the cuts on his friend's body as well as the metal bracelet on only one hand. There was no guard.

"They let you go loose?" he asked, amused.

"Shut up, danna," Deidara grumbled moving to the cd rack.

"My, someone is in an awfully foul mood. Her departure has been known to do that to men, I'm afraid," the red man said aloud, moving the pieces of his chess set across the board in made up strategies.

"What's that to you!" the blond snapped, obviously more upset than normal.

"Her name is Sakura, in case you were wondering. Did they tell you?"

"...No."

"So, how was it? Worn on the rails is that they put you in the pit. I've only seen her fight from behind glass, so I've never felt her energy myself, but I can understand it is quite an experience. Did she say anything?"

Deidara let his head drop as he stared blankly at the cd titles under his finger tips. They were shaking at just the thought of her gaze. She was living fire in all it's forms. She was captivating and frightening and he wanted her to look at her again. He didn't care how, be he wanted her to see him and pay attention to him. It was terrible, he had never felt it this bad before.

"...Dear, you seem to have it bad. I sympathize. Well, you are only a child."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, boy," Sasori taunted.

It clicked for the blond just then. "You like her too!" Sasori looked up through his lashes, but didn't move his body from over his chess pieces. "Holy shit, man. You're jealous, aren't you, yeah? You wanted to be out there too!"

"How extraordinary to learn you can actually think intelligently. I applaud you," the red head remarked dryly.

Deidara made a face, but continued. "Why would you like her-Sakura if you've never been in the same room as her? I thought you were like...non functioning in the hormone department."

Sasori glared. "I have never been in a room when she fights, I never said I had never been in a room with her. This is actually her winning strategy I am trying to figure out." He motioned to the board and then moved one of the pieces." She is an amazingly complex individual with a wonderful mind and sense of individuality. I doubt she will ever learn to love."

"I just want her to look at me. I don't know about love or anything like that just yet," Deidara said.

"Good luck with that. You have some steep competition."

"From who? You? Sorry, Danna, but I don't think that's what you would call steep."

"...Kabuto seems to have a thing for her. And then there is Zabuza, Zatsu, oh...Hidan seems taken with her now. And that's not to mention the Uchiha boys. Tobi thinks of her as a mother and Madara is crazed with her. Her room is divided by a glass wall that Itachi can stare though every night. It seems he likes her as well. And if that wasn't bad enough, she's just like that Gaara kid. It's only a matter of time before he latches on to her as well."

"Gaara?" Something dawned on the blond. "Is that the real reason you like her. Because she's...one of them. A rumored immortal?"

Sasori grinned, fingering the queen piece. "I will admit, the aspect of her living forever does add to her appeal. Perfection in a physical form is the most intoxicating thing in the world."

Deidara thought back to her pained look. How she struggled with herself and fought something inside her own body. There was nothing perfect about that. It was like there was a storm inside her all the time. She wasn't something you could predict or control for long. Fire, lioness, Amazon...she was indescribable.

"By the way, Deidara...why are you here anyway? You don't like reading and aren't allowed music just yet."

The blond held up a red cd case and grinned. "I'm actually running an errand for Kabuto. He wanted something from the Seatbelts for some reason."

.

* * *

AN1:I just sometimes hate life...like a whole lot. I hate it. I feel really bad about being away for so long, so I added the last part with Deidara and Danna(Sasori). I was going to stop after she passed out but I kept going for all you guys, Storm especially.

Oh, and I never thought Kabuto wold play such a huge part in any of this. I thought I would toss him in every now and then, but he is showing up a lot. Do you ever wonder why he doesn't show up in Mad House?

AN2: For **Stormdragon666** who was so awesome to request this. Remember this is all done with Storm in mind. I hope she likes it it, she deserves it for that sick adventure called **The Night Under**. Go read it, like now, and if you have already read it, read it again and review, cause everyone loves reviews. Reviewing is good, so do it. Do it. Dooooo it.

Vesper chan


	4. Forth Hell

**INSIDE THE MAD HOUSE**

WARNING: Language and AkaSaku and MultiSaku crack ahead. Really, you guys should know me better than this by now.

_Standard diclaimer applied._

* * *

"You wanted to see me?" Kabuto asked, coming into the room of his superior.

Orochimaru looked up from his laptop computer where an email from the CEO and owner of Done was still up. "Ah yes, Kabuto, please take a sit. I'm just finishing this here and I'll get to you."

The younger of the two nodded and took a seat to the left of the great big desk that was placed in front of a window that stretched the whole length of the wall. The office was so large and spacious with so few decorations it was... intimidating to say the least.

Orochimaru closed down the email page and shut the lid on his laptop after another three, long minutes. Kabuto seemed comfortable enough, but in all honesty he was nervous and on edge. Something about the invitation up to the office and out of the labs smelled of trouble.

"I'm sorry that took so long, Kabuto."

"Not at all. Was there something you wanted from me, sir?"

"Not me, per say...but my superior wanted to see a slight adjustment in your work."

Kabuto blinked, feeling his throat tighten. "And that would be...?"

"Your charge, Sakura I believe. He is under the impression that you are babying her and keeping her from her full potential. She is spending a lot of time with Uchiha Tobi, who contributes little to the advanced physical development department."

He knew it! Kabuto felt his fears rear up and pop his insides. It was a dreadful feeling. "You can't be serious, sir! That's a fallacious statement to be making. Sakura is making leaps and bounds in her training and she's even ahead of the charts at this point. He can't think she is anything less than amazing."

Orochimaru blinked, seeing for himself what Naruto had written about. Kabuto was emotionally attached and compromised. At this rate he wouldn't be able to see clearly science and results without first seeing what it would cost their property; the girl. She was meat on their plate, nothing more. And while Naruto had confidence that she would be just as powerful as their Sand Rat...Orochimaru suspected his boss just wanted to see how far he could push her.

"Kabuto, I can't do anything about this, my orders are coming from the very top on this one."

"You can't...not now."

"Karin will be oversee the rest of the development while you will be transferred to another devision There will be no alteration in your pay so please don't think of this as a demotion."

Kabuto stood sharply, throwing the chair back a few inches before it rocked back onto all four legs. "You are putting Sakura in Karin's hands? You can't do that if you want her coming out alive. I know you think I might be emotionally compromised, but so is Karin. She hates Sakura beyond anything else and will go out of her way to bring mindless torment to Sakura."

"He thinks that will help Sakura in the end."

Kabuto slammed both palms down on the desk in front of him. "He's insane!"

Orochimaru frowned, leaning back. "He is the one who signs your checks, Kabuto."

"If he had any sense he would want to keep Sakura alive at least. She's not as powerful as you all think she is. Her body may heal, but her mind is in a very delicate position. She could break down and never come back. She'll be destroyed if you leave her with Karin!"

"Nice to see my coworkers have so much confidence in me."

Kabuto spun and turned to see the red head leaning in the doorway of Orochimaru's office. A smile stretched across her lips and touched the scar that marred her from crown to chin on the left side of her face. Kabuto straightened himself up and pushed his glasses back up.

"It's good to see you well and walking at least, Karen," he said, faking a smile as easily as anything else.

She lifted up a hand and waved it, showing off the silver and metal that was where flesh should have been. "Yes, the bionics are amazing in this day and age. My insurance had a fit when they saw what needed to be done and almost launched an investigation till Naruto stepped in. A few million dollars was a small price to pay for what they could have lost if they dared expose what monsters we are hiding. I haven't been let anywhere near that Uchiha brat since."

"Can't say I blame him. He was angry and you weren't helping matters."

"Yes, well, he can be your problem now that you're out of a job I guess."

Kabuto turned back round to Orochimaru, ignoring her stinging comment. "When does this transition of oversight occur?"

"You have the rest of the day. Starting tomorrow you'll be with Hatake."

.

"Oh."

Tobi looked up from his flower chain, hearing Sakura's voice. "What's wrong Sakura, did you break something?"

She looked over at the young boy who was playing in the grass as if there was nothing evil in the world that could touch them, and then glanced back down at her silly plastic chopsticks that were designed so she couldn't use them as weapons. Somehow they had snapped in her hand. Didn't that mean something bad was going to happen?

'_How can this be any worse_?'

"Don't worry Tobi, it's nothing." She was done eating anyway. She dropped what was left of her sticks and stood up from the chair and table that had been carved out of wood for her.

Seeing her rise Tobi stood up as well and started hobbling towards her on one good leg. The other had been burned in an experiment the other day and was still sore. Sakura managed to catch him before he teetered over.

"Easy," she hissed.

"Hehe, Tobi thinks Sakura talks like a mother. Look what Tobi made for Sakura." He held up a messy flower chain that looked weak in some parts. All the same he reached up and draped it over her head like a crown.

"Thank you Tobi."

"Hehe, Tobi thinks Sakura looks pretty now."

She lifted an eyebrown. "Oh, so I wasn't pretty beforehand?"

His face went red as he panicked and stuttered"Ah, n-n-no, Tobi d-didn't mean-It wasn't like Sakura wasn't already very pretty, Sakura is beautiful!"

She laughed, holding her side as she allowed herself a rare treat. She enjoyed teasing the little kid, even if he did scare her at times. There were a lot of examples to choose from.

Like last week after a long campaign for Kabuto she had been given a break in the garden with Tobi who seemed to always be outside. He was happy to see her and played like any boy would, but it was when she needed to leave did things get messy. The guard insulted Tobi, provoked him by saying something like his girlfriend was going to the grinders, so don't expect her back.

Sakura couldn't remember the exact phrase but that guard went down, bleeding from a jab that could penetrate flesh. Flustered, another guard rose up to try and bring Tobi down, but he began to bleed as well. A third was felled just as easily. Tobi grabbed Sakura and crushed her against his side as he snarled insults at the new reinforcements. It had taken another half hour and eight more men before she was back in her cell and apart from his side.

"Sakura has that far away look again. Is there something the matter?"

Yeah, the kid who talks too oddly asking if anything was the matter, was a killer, more insane than most just because of how innocent he could seem. She was foolish not to fear him.

"Tobi, where do you think I go when I leave you?"

"Back to sleep?"

She nodded, patting his hair down. "Where does Tobi go?"

The Uchiha made a face as if he were thinking and rolled his eyes up towards the sky. "To sleep and read and talk to the people who look at Tobi's brain. Sometimes they do other stuff too, but Tobi doesn't like that other stuff she he doesn't talk about it at all."

"Do you ever want to leave?"

He looked back at Sakura and tilted his head to one side, looking at her sideways. "Huh? Where would Tobi go if Tobi were not here. Tobi's only family is here. No one else wold take Tobi in anywhere else than here. And Sakura is here too, so Tobi wants to stay!"

Sakura sat down on the grass and tugged down the long tee shirt that was actually longer than her cheerleader shorts. She flattened the grass next to her and Tobi plopped down loudly, legs flying up in the air before coming down to hit the green carpet.

"Do you see your...family very often, Tobi?"

"No, not really."

"Oh, do they talk to you when you do see each other."

He shrugged. "Sometimes. No one is ever really close. Mom and dad were like that too. The Uchiha family is dark, everyone is unhappy."

"And yet you still don't want to leave. I don't know, I really want to go back and finish school I was going to enter college early, but at this rate, I don't know if I'll ever be able to earn a position in a field like medicine. Hahah, no one would want a worker like me."

Tobi looked at her funny again. "Why would Sakura want to work?"

She felt like laughing again, but this time it was a sad sort of laugh that didn't warm her insides. "You're probably in here for life, so you wouldn't know anything about it. But I wanted to work once as a nurse. When I do get out I'll have to do something else since I have a criminal record as well as this insanity thing. Ahhh...I don't know what's going to happen to me. I'll probably go live with my grandma. She would take me in no matter what."

"Where is...your grandmother, Sakura?" Tobi asked, voice strained and slow suddenly.

Sakura turned to look at him and saw he was staring down, and his hands were dug deep into the grass. His body was tense and wholly different. And she knew why. Her grandmother was outside of Domo, and Tobi wold never leave the nut house. That meant eventually they would have to part. Sakura decided not to answer.

"Is Itachi your cousin...? He stays in the room next door to mine but he never speaks."

"Um," he nodded. "But Tobie doesn't see him very much. Tobi doesn't see much of anyone very much. Even Sakura hardly ever visits. Less and less. Does that mean you will be leaving?"

The way he looked at her made her think that there was more to him than just a petty, child's mind. He seemed to know just as much, if not more, of the happenings and going ons all around him.

"Will Tobie miss me?" she asked, trying to soften things.

"Will Sakura miss Tobi?"

"Only if you miss me."

Tobi rolled over and sprang up, so close his nose was inches from her face. She could see his lovely, scar free eyes filling up with tears for her. "Tobi will miss Sakura more than anything! Tobi doesn't want you to leave, ever, ever, ever, ever!"

He collapsed into her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and burying his head in the crook of her neck. She could feel something damp trailing down, over her skin.

"H-hey, don't worry. I'm not going to be leaving tomorrow. We will still be able to see each other some more. Don't cry."

He tried to stay his tears but they just kept coming. After a while he looked up, over her shoulder before closing his eyes and bringing his face back to her neck. "But they're coming for you. I don't want them to take you away from me."

His voice was different, not only his way of speaking, but the tone of it. She felt frightened because of it, and she didn't know why. It was primal reaction. All of a sudden the white coated men were behind her, reaching for her. She would go willingly, but for some reason she didn't want to stand. She was frozen in place.

"Don't," she whispered.

"Come on, it's time for you to leave," the guard replied.

"No, not you..." her voice seemed strangled from her as he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her up.

Tobi was faster and before she could see anything more an arm, ragged and ripped from a body, was flying through the air. The guard was screaming and more were coming their way. Tobi screamed loudly and took the head off the armless man, showering the grass with bright red.

"Get her!"

"Oh, Tobi no!"

But it was too late. His mother was being taken from him, and he didn't like that.

.

.

"You were bad, Sakura," Karin laughed, rocking back and forth on her heels. "So, so, so, so, bad. If it were not for you, things would be so much brighter for that kid. Now he's being put through a lot of really mean tests that hurt a whole bunch, ha."

Sakura glared up through her lashes.

"And it is all because of you. He was safe and boring before, but now it's a whole new, bloody, mess." The red haired woman paused to tilt her head and chuckle. "A very bloody mess, I'm afraid. I hope he survives."

The restrained woman in the oversized straight jacket closed her eyes and lifted her head, trying to position herself above fighting back with verbal insults. She knew that it would only get her in deeper trouble at this point.

Karin paused, feeling bored with the lack of reaction. "You know what they are going to do with you, today? I bet you have heard enough of the rumors to have an idea. More than anyone they want to see how you stand up against this sand rat we have on hold. He's mental and so unfriendly. You'll just love each other."

Sakura opened her eyes and glared once more. "Do I look like I care, Karin? You're returning face is enough to make my stomach roll, this kid will be nothing."

Karin grinned, not making any move to slap or punch the girl for the insult like she normally would. "Think that if you want, but he'll tear you apart on site and I don't think you'll be able to last much longer than five minutes. Some of my boys say less."

Sakura rolled her eyes and then her shoulders, blocking out the rest of what the red haired witch had to say. Just then the doors behind her opened and she felt a sick wave of familiarity. Karin's face was wild with glee as she stalked forward and shoved Sakura through the door with a little too much force.

Sakura fell two stories and landed with a painful thud. The locks around her wrists unlocked and she felt them fall away. She could move again, but she didn't want to.

Opening her eyes she saw sand….sand and blood. Smelled it too. She rolled over, off her back and onto her stomach, and had a look around. There were so many bodies of men in DOMO cell uniforms. Insane criminals the world would never see again. Animals too, boars and bulls were on their side, dead and decaying.

A single figure stalked the carnage in beige robes stained red with blood not his own. He looked up when he felt her eyes on him.

She blinked, but didn't move. Oddly enough she didn't feel a tingle of danger from this guy. Without even knowing how, the sense that they were from the same cloth, the same sickness was already present. He looked her over, amber gold eyes gleaming.

It was a good long while before he moved, and it wasn't towards her. Even in the absence of fear, she breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't seem like he wanted a piece of her just yet. He took a few more steps and then stalled. Sakura looked up and saw that something was sticking out of his neck; a dart, fuzzy at the end with pink colored drugs. He howled in pain and dropped to his knees.

"This is your fault Sakura. You should have kept things interesting. Gaara will die now if you don't defend him," Karin said over the loud speaker.

"And why should I care?" she mumbled to herself, rolling back onto her side. She watched as he shivered in pain and collapsed into the sand.

"The drug won't kill him, just sap his strength and keep him from fighting. But he will die if you don't beat off the boys coming in now."

A door opened off to the side and a small group of larger than average men stalked forward. Heavily tattooed and looking dirty, Sakura didn't think they were small fry. No match for her, but still not someone to be messed with.

The filtered in with their clubs and pipes, all heading towards the small red haired boy. She growled to herself. Since when was he a boy? He was a killer a minute ago, drenched in blood. Now he looked so young, so small, so weak.

"Hurry up Sakura. You owe him that much, since he didn't kill you when you were down. How can you just lay there and watch?"

"Easy."

They got closer and Sakura didn't think she cared.

"Tobi and now Gaara. Poor boys are both going to lose so much for this whore. It's a pity I can't kill you now, Sakura. It might have just saved some teenage boys."

Sakura didn't know why, but the sand was kicked up and her body was lightning across the field, knocking into the first guy and kicking back the second. She stopped with her legs spread wide and bent, fingers curled in primal fury. She glared, lips curled, saying without words, "Back off."

They didn't last very long, but they were pesky and annoying to take care of when they tried to distract her from coving the small boy's body. Fighting wasn't easy, but it was hard to fight and cover for someone who was knocked out and crippled in pain.

Her mind went fuzzy, blinking out an in, there and gone. She hadn't switched over to her other half, but she wasn't herself fully.

"Nice show, doll face, now how about for a real challenge?"

Dark black wires in the sand came up and wrapped themselves around Sakura. She was up in the air before she knew what had happened and buried deep into a stone wall. Moaning in pain she fell back to the ground, limp. She tasted blood in the sand and shivered, knowing she couldn't let it be her own.

She stood and felt herself fall back inside her mind. Looking down her nails were longer and her skin a dark, ashy gray. She was starting to really loose herself.

"Watch it there," a male voice purred before something long and sharp came her way. She felt herself bend at the knees and felt the wind of the blade as it was swung overhead.

She recovered and retreated in order to get a better look at her attackers. One was tall and blue skinned, the other cloaked too heavily to make out. A mass of black threads fell from his clothes though. It had been the blue one who spoke.

"They said they would let me out if I got to kill you. Don't get that very often," the blue one laughed. "What about you, dark guy? The name was Kakuzu, wasn't it?"

The other figure remained silent, watching Sakura as she heaved and stood.

"Well, whatever. I'm Kisame by the way. Though you should know who killed you." He heaved his great sword and charged once more, but this time she was ready.

She jumped out and put her toes down on the edge of his blade before running it's enormous length. At the hilt her heel met face and dislocated a handful of teeth. Before falling off she scored another blow to the neck. He roared but recovered quickly, using his own legs against her. She took the blow and sailed backwards, landing with only a shallow grunt.

"I'm sorry, I don't go down easy."

He wiped away blood. "Fine, I like my girls with a little fight."

She rolled her shoulders. "Whatever."

Sand was up in the air again as she charged forward. The sword wasn't east to avoid, not because it was too fast for her, but because once she got out of its range she was vulnerable to attack. But just because it was hard didn't mean it was impossible. Her claws dug into flesh and fabric at once. She was on her feet and back to running before the boys in the observation deck could blink. Back and forth, she was moving too fast to be seen.

Somewhere in her mind she was laughing out of control, loving the trill of it. She was so lost to it she probably wouldn't be able to remember anything. She was beating Kisame thoroughly until something thin and black tripped her up and pulled her against a wall.

Threads, or rather wires she couldn't tear through.

She cursed, trying to break free with little success. She had forgotten about the other guy in the background. She was so close to finishing the blue one off she hadn't bothered to think of anything else.

"Bitch," Kisame gasped, bleeding and bruised. "Ima kill yoooh n-ow."

Sakura snarled against her bindings , trying to get free before he could reach her. She got one or two off, but there were so many new ones coming on it looked hopeless. She struggled harder and more wires came. Kisame raised his sword and grinned wide and mad.

"You're dead!"

Blood broke free. His sword fell like a lead weight into the sand, soon followed by his body. Sakura stopped struggling and looked on in surprise as Kisame bled out.

"Why?" he asked, turning over to look at Kakuzu.

The dark man shrugged, pulling the bloodied wires back into his body. "I want her for myself. You would have ruined her. And you talk too much."

He turned to look at Sakura and she saw her own reflection in his eyes. They were so dark and bright at the same time, glazed over with the refined lust of an educated man who knew what he wanted.

Sakura couldn't make words anymore, only growl and snarl through her madness, but it was obvious she knew, that this man wasn't out to save her because he was a good guy. He was an evil man, who wanted to see her suffer.

'Let me go!' she seemed to snarl.

"I don't think…" he began. "That I have ever seen one so perfectly wild and unique in this God forsaken hell hole of a place. I'm most grateful now that I decided to stay and not kill myself." He chuckled at his own inside joke. "What will you look like when that skin is gone, I wonder."

"You won't get to see."

Red and gold curled through the air and slammed into the man of a thousand threads. Kakuzu wheezed and fell over, the threads holding Sakura up going slack in relation. She fell to her knees and gasped, sucking in sweet, free air.

Looking up, she saw that boy, Gaara, leaning against a wall with sweat beaded all long his face. She couldn't tell what color his eyes were, but he looked ticked. "I'm going to kill you," he whispered into the wall, still feeling weak.

More sand rose up around him and Kakuzu drew his threads up in defense. It was a battle between the two of them, raging at long distance with Sakura silently observing. Gaara seemed strong at first, but a little ways in he started to weaken and slide down the wall.

Not knowing why, Sakura ran to his and caught his before his body could hit the ground again. As malnourished as she was, she used her body to cushioning him as he sunk into her arms. She sat in the sand, holding him as he mentally fought with the other guy.

He was hot, burning up, in her arms, but shook like he was having a cold spell. He sort of reminded her of Tobi, in some odd way.

'He's a killer,' she reminded herself.

He whimpered in quiet pain, squeezing his eyes shut and burying his head into one of her arms. Before she knew what she was doing she was shushing him, and running her fingers through his hair, tracing circled around his curls. "Hush, hush now."

"He's not going to recover that easily," Kakuzu said, standing over her all of a sudden. The fighting sand was still and Gaara seemed to be in too much pain to do anything about it.

Her body curled over his and she growled. "_Back off._"

"Come with me and I won't hurt him, not that I think it would do the kid much good. Those drugs should have killed him. He might still end up dying at this rate." He sunk down to her level. "But you will live. You're already regenerating."

Surprised, she glanced down to see steam hiss out of her cuts from the threads she had struggled against. That was…sort of new. She couldn't remember ever healing so fast before. But then again, she remembered little.

"How rare a gem," he murmured, watching with the eyes of a mad doctor. "…Beauty and perfection."

The room erupted in green and yellow gas. Kakuzu looked up in annoyance. He reached for Sakura, hoping to grab her and take her with him for the remaining time, but sand rose up once more to rip into his flesh and swat his hand away.

Gaara glared up through his sweaty bangs with glowing gold green eyes. "Mine," he hissed before the gas was too thick to stay awake through.

.

When she woke again she was behind glass, with something over her mouth.

She breathed deep, tasting fresh, clean air. Someone had put her in a tube filled with jelly like liquid that anyone could see through. Thankfully she was still wearing the bare minimum.

There was a tapping against the glass that she though she recognized. She looked down, thinking-no, hoping it was Itachi. But it wasn't.

Kabuto looked up at her with sad eyes and a pained expression. "I'm sorry," he said through the glass. "This was all I was allowed to do for you."

Behind him someone with red hair watched, shackled at the wrists. She though it was Gaara, since he was the last person she had been with before blacking out, but this person was too tall to be Gaara.

She tried kicking, and found herself floating upwards before sinking down. Stretching out, she made her way over to the glass and stared through it. Sasori moved forward and looked up.

Feeling odd, she pushed back from the glass and floated freely in her long, thin cage, trying to ignore Kabuto's knocking on the glass. He wanted her attention so he could say something.

"You don't have much more time left. Karin gets you back in another hour and she's putting you right back out into the field. Kakuzu and Hidan this time, and you'll be all alone."

She jerked back down and kicked to the side of the tube, staring at them with a 'why are you telling me this?' sort of look.

"Why else, Sakura?" Sasori said, stepping further still. "You know we love you, and that means pain in our hearts if you were to be killed or damaged. You are not allowed to die and leave me here. Hidan is wild and a close rang fighter. Kakuzu is long distance. Use that to your advantage."

"Hidan has regeneration abilities that make it impractical to fight with. You can't beat him, you have to use him against Kakuzu," added Kabuto.

"That shouldn't be too hard," Sasori sighed. "Kakuzu is a mad doctor. He's in here because of all the bodies he's played with and the humans he killed only to explore their corpses. He seems to have taken a liking to you...your body, I should say. He's too much of a fool to see past the realm of the physical. Regardless, he seems attracted to you and will want you for his own. The same can be said for Hidan on some level. He's fascinated with you since your first display."

Kabuto touched the glass again. "Work with that, Sakura. I know you'll do well. Please try to hang on just a little longer. I'm working on taking your case from Karin."

"..." She still looked confused, but something buzzed in the tube from the top connecting to her mask. It tickled. She felt light and sleepy right before tuning out once more.

"No, Sakura, wait!" Kabuto tried. He turned to see Karin at the control panel. "_You_."

"I though you said she was the one who needed sleep. You shouldn't keep her up," The red head said through grinning lips. "Leave her be, won't you?"

Kabuto seethed. "You just wait, Karin. One day this will come back to bite you."

She just hummed to herself, studying her nails. "Well then, it's a good thing I bite back."

Kabuto stiffened and fisted his hands around the fabric of his overcoat. With a curt nod he stormed out, motioning with his head for Sasori to follow him. The red head obeyed without question, following dutifully behind his superior. But he stopped when beside Karin and glanced over his shoulder.

His words were a whisper before the door closed behind him. "...There is little threat from one pair of blunt teeth. The fangs and claws of a dozen are far more frightening in my opinion."

.

Five month later Sakura had fallen into a comatose, only to awaken three weeks after that. The battles got harder, and she remembered less and less of her days. She was strapped down, wrapped up, chained, taped, and burned more times than she could count. Less and less time was devoted to rest, as her scars and cuts healed that night or the next day, no matter how bad they were. Some should have killed her. Most would have is she weren't the person she was.

She was living a half life.

A haunted life.

Itachi was in her room one night, watching her as she slept. It was a rare opportunity for him to be able to walk about freely when the guards decided to play hooky. Kakashi was the only one left on duty and he wasn't someone Itachi distrusted. There was no glass in place this time, so he could touch. Her face was cold and her hair was soft, like down feathers. There was a crack in the skin where her latest scar struggled to heal. He kissed it.

She didn't deserve this. She was being put through a personal hell he couldn't pull her out of, and it tormented him. Having to see her night after night, coming back like some half revived zombie...he couldn't take much more of it.

He traced the frame of her face once more, loving it just as much, of not more, than with it had been scar free the first time they met. The feel of her skin beneath his lips gave him strength.

"One day, all your pain will be gone," he whispered. "My beautiful one."

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Okay, umm, **_soon_** I'm going to tell you guys where I have been all this time. I don't know myself, but I'm sorry it has taken this long. Hope you enjoy this chapter. I made it longer than the last one for you all. (At least I think it is longer than the last one, I could be wrong.)

I've been busy with work, school, service, sicknesses, and….original writing. Yeah, I'm doing a lot more of that these days. I know, I'm bad, I'm sorry and I get it. One day soon I will explain all this, but for now, I'm sorry but I'm just going to be really absent from fanfiction for a while.


	5. Fifth Hell

**INSIDE THE MAD HOUSE**

WARNING: Language and AkaSaku and MultiSaku crack ahead. Really, you guys should know me better than this by now.

_Standard diclaimer applied._

* * *

_Short recap:_

Five month later Sakura had fallen into a comatose, only to awaken three weeks after that. The battles got harder, and she remembered less and less of her days. She was strapped down, wrapped up, chained, taped, and burned more times than she could count. Less and less time was devoted to rest, as her scars and cuts healed that night or the next day, no matter how bad they were. Some should have killed her. Most would have is she weren't the person she was.

She was living a half life.

* * *

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It had been a long time she had felt pain from something so silly as hunger. But it was happening more and more now. It took energy to keep up with all the crazies in this mad house, so it would make sense if she got hungry after a workout. The didn't exactly serve her pasta and lobster on a daily basis, either.

She looked up at the males surround her, each one holding a part of her collar's chain. She was sitting down in a plastic wheelchair chair watching a glass wall where another fighting arena existed. The outer wall opened up and a few men entered. She recognized one or two, but the others she couldn't put a name on. That didn't matter, since Zabuz and Hidan were the only ones still standing after less than three minutes.

Sakura stared on as Hidan played with the dead bodes, laughing with gleed at the sight of his handiwork. Zabuza just stood there, unfazed by what he had just done. He didn't even bother to wipe the blood off his face, he just licked off what he could reach and left the rest while Hidan danced with someone's small intestine.

"Why are you showing me this?" Sakura asked, hiding her fear like an expert. She had been inside Domo level D over a year now, it shouldn't have fazed her any when she saw such brutality, but something in her nature just couldn't get used to it. Her other nature was what enjoyed it.

"These are your friends, Sakura. Don't you want to play with them?" Karin asked, leaning over the back of Sakura's chair.

"I don't like them anymore than you do, lady," Sakura huffed, closing her eyes and letting her head fall back.

"If they decided to fight each other, who do you think would win?"

"I don't care."

"Don't they ever scare you?"

Sakura cracked open one eye and glanced at Karin for only a moment before closing her eyes again. "Your face is the only thing here that is able to keep me up a night, I'm afraid."

Karin hummed to herself, used to the insults. "That's too bad. I was hoping I could get a rise out of you before we hand you over to the director's assistant. Don't look too sad, though. I'll be helping him seeing as how he is the man that taught me everything there is to know about this world."

"A transfer?" Sakura asked, looking up with surprise. "When is this happening?"

Karin made a pitying face before laughing out loud to herself. "It already has, you silly, stupid girl. Why else would you be watching this boring play and not actually acting out there yourself? If it were me, I'd have you eating dust with the other boys out there, but that was for yesterday."

"How fun," Sakura sarcastically muttered, inwardly grateful for the change. No matter what, whoever she was with now it couldn't be any worse than Karin who acted more out of personal revenge than scientific gain. It wasn't Kabuto either, since he wouldn't miss out on a chance to be by her side, holding her, touching her, talking to her...

Her eyes traveled back to the fight where Zabuza stood still, unmoving and unblinking. He twitched and looked up, almost right at her, but there was no way he could know she was watching him. He took a step towards them and Sakura involuntarily tensed. If it was because she was scared or ready for a fight she couldn't tell.

What frightened her any more? Getting her head torn off by another psychopath was pretty high up on the list, but more than that, she though the idea of becoming someone who tore off heads was so much more frightening.

But was that something she could help? She knew deep down she harbored a monster that could turn her skin black and cut through the air faster than any other female on the planet. It was a part of her, something she was born with. Shouldn't she just accept it and learn to deal?

Karin huffed, looking out the screen at Zabuza and then back at Sakura. She seemed like a jealous school girl for a moment, baffling Sakura. "You have the rest of the day free for _reflection_, whatever that means. I was told to tell you to spend it wisely, since tomorrow you'll be worked."

"It can't be any worse than what you have been putting me through," Sakura laughed.

Karin raised a brow at this and almost smirked. "Was that a compliment, Haruno?" she hummed.

Sakura shrugged, finding it funny how anyone could take that as a compliment. Karin was a sick, twisted woman of many vices, but at least she represented something better in Sakura's head. Karin was that hill she needed to get over. Once she was free of Karin, everything else would be (sort of) smooth sailing. "Take it as you will, bitch, I'm not in the mood to pick a fight with you anymore."

Karin hid her smirk and nodded to the two guards escorting Sakura around. They undid the clasps holding her chair down and tightened her arm restraints. Her days of being led on a leash were behind her now, back on the other side of that hill.

"Take her away already. She has places to be," Karin told the guards.

And they did.

The white walls surrounded Sakura as they led her down a hall, only to stop in front of a set of doors carved of elegant wood. The clasps locked onto the wheels of her mobil-chair, and one guard gingerly lifted her up while the other opened one door. Together they ushered her in and removed her restrains before leaving the way they came.

Sakura blinked, not believing what she was seeing. It was a library. And not just any library, but a university sized library complete with the red carpeting, plush rococo chairs, solid wood desks, and balconies you could act Shakespeare from. She almost cried.

"Sakura chan?" she turned to the side and saw the blond boy from her first day in section D. Naruto wasn't it? She had seen him once or twice before, being tortured in rooms she passed by, but to be honest, he hadn't been in her mind a lot to build a good memory of the guy.

"Naruto," he replied, turning to face him and study his face once more. It was boyish, but mature to the extent she really couldn't tell his age. "What are you doing down here?"

He grinned brightly and rubbed the back of his head. "They said I was being good so I got a free day before they start up again tomorrow. I'm really glad because the guy that looks over me got switched too. This new dude seems lax compared to Ibiki."

"I got transferred too," she said, not really sure why she was talking so casually with him. Everyone inside Domo frightened her to some level, but Naruto reminded her too much of herself. Maybe it was because they had come in at the same time. (And he was really cute looking for a boy.)

"Do you think we'll be together?" Naruto asked, cocking his head to the side.

She shrugged. "Maybe. Are there any other people in this place, or are we alone?"

Naruto looked up to the balconies. "There are others, but the don't like talking to me. Kimmy is always hiding, Sai calls me names, and Gaara just ignores me, but I think he secretly likes my company at least. He doesn't try to hurt me or chase me away."

Sakura had no idea who Sai was, but she remembered Gaara; he was the sand controller from last time. She also remembered people telling her she was like him or he was like her in terms of having a second personality or monster in them that gave them power. If Gaara was here, did that mean that Naruto was like her as well? What about the other two he as talking about, Sai and Kimmy?

"Have you talked with either of them about why they are here?" Sakura asked.

"I've talked with them about a lot of things, but no one every talks back." He paused for a moment and pouted. "It sucks."

"No one here seems to be the talkative type, though," Sakura offered with a small laugh, combing back the bangs that had fallen in front of her face. She would need another trim soon.

"But you talk to me," mumbled Naruto, looking down. Suddenly his eyes lit up and a smile took over his face. "But that's it. Maybe Gaara will talk to you! I heard the other people talking about the time you were both in the same arena and he saved you or you saved him, whatever. You might be able to make him say stuff!"

Sakura's grin faltered, remembering back to the said event. It had been quite bloody and rushed. Just because she hadn't let the red head die didn't mean she wanted to be friends with him or talk to him like a classmate.

Aside from that, he scared her. He, on his own, was a terrifying person, but what really shook her bones was how much of herself she saw in him. She was a monster as well. She was just as terrifying as him when she lost it. Strange how different she could feel towards the same guy.

_She blinked, but didn't move. Oddly enough she didn't feel a tingle of danger from this guy. Without even knowing how, the sense that they were from the same cloth, the same sickness was already present. He looked her over, amber gold eyes gleaming._

"I don't' think that is a good idea, Naruto," she offered. "I don't think he would want to talk to me if he wouldn't talk to you. There is no reason for it."

"You won't even try?"

Sakura felt a stab of guilt. Naruto looked so pitiful. "Is there something important you want to know from him?"

"No, he just looked real lonely and I don't want to see anyone so lonesome if I can help it. I feel bad I couldn't help him no matter what I did. I…no, you're right, Sakura chan. If you don't want to you shouldn't feel you need to speak with him. It might be kind of scary for you."

Now Sakura felt bad. What had she been like before coming into DOMO? Hadn't she been the girl that helped others, regardless of the circumstances? She had been kind once, so much so that she thought about becoming a doctor that could help others in pain. That had been her once. Too bad her record was too dark to ever allow her a future in the medical or education field. She had once dreamed of being a school teacher if she couldn't get the money for med school. Now, money was the least of her worries.

"Where is he?" she asked.

Naruto led her upstairs behind a curved wall of books to a small sitting area where a red head lounged among the pillows on the floor, eyes close and unseeing. His bangs were low in his face and it looked like he was sleeping at first glance.

"Gaara, hey Gaara, look who I found downstairs!" Naruto shouted, probably tipping everyone in the library off. Everything seemed to echo in the silence. Either way, Gaara didn't stir from his position. Sakura couldn't tell if he was really sleeping or just ignoring the loud shouting in hopes of it going away.

Sakura tapped Naruto's arm and pulled on the sleeve of his short to get him to stop talking. When he turned to look back at her she just shook her head. "Leave him be, he's probably tired," she whispered before backing away and turning around the corner.

"Aww, but Sakura chan..." Naruto whined, chasing act her with ease.

They had only made it a few yards when the bookcases jumped in reaction to a loud noise behind them. Both turned to see Gaara standing awkwardly on top of an overturned bookcase, staring straight at them with wide jade eyes, rimmed in dark ink. He stared at Sakura, mouth partly open, breathing heavy. "Sa-ku-ra," he murmured more to himself than anyone else.

He took a step forward, slipping into the bookcase and almost tripping, but with a bit more effort he jumped off and landed on the carpet in his bare feet, hardly an arm's reach away from them.

"See, Gaara? I told you I found someone for you. Aren't you glad now that you decided to come here?" Naruto cheered with glee, throwing his arms behind the back of his head and interlacing his fingers. "I knew you would like her, _everyone_ does."

Absently, Sakura took another step back, away from Gaara and Naruto, never changing her facial expression. She wasn't scared of him, she knew she could take him if she wanted to, but that didn't mean she wanted to hang out with him. That would be stupid. What was she thinking to follow Naruto around like that?

"I think I should go," she murmured over her shoulder, turning just enough to show intent before taking a single step away.

"Sakura." It hadn't come from Naruto, so she turned around to look back at Gaara. His voice sounded strained and tired, like he wasn't used to talking. He licked his chapped lips once and then swallowed. "Do you... remember... remember me?"

Sakura nodded once. "I remember you. The sand pit, you saved me from the stitched up man."

"Kakuzu?" Naruto offered.

Sakura nodded. "That's the one. He tried to keep me for a lab experiment or something. I remember that time well enough."

"But... the other times?" Gaara asked, taking another step towards her. His voice started to sound better, but it was still obviously cracked in some places. "There were other times too. You were...you saved me a lot. Don't you remember when you threw the metal chair through the windows? With the animals?"

Something throbbed in her head and she winced, reaching up to touch it. In her mind all she saw was the dark outline of that other creature inside of her. The monster in her brain. What Gaara was talking about must have happened when she wasn't aware. That wouldn't be odd, since there were a lot of times she was active on the field without knowing about it. She was sure there were whole weeks in her mind that were blank.

Then there _was_ something.

In a glorious, divine transformation she was throwing a full grown man through the unbreakable glass, and the metal chair that she had been strapped to was tossed high into the hidden observation decks, two stories above them.

She remembered feeling ugly, like something disgusting pulled up from the sewers. She had been heaving for air, drooling and sweating like a pig from the heat her own body produced-but, she stood over him, both legs bent and her fingers curled like claws. How had he seen her then?

"How long ago...was that?" she asked, head still hurting.

"Almost two months, Gaara offered." He was quiet for a while, just watching her, studying her life his life depended on it. "Do you remember anything else? We were... together a lot. You were in the same room as me."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Gaara."

He reached for her and touched her hand. The fabric of his skin was rough and graiting, but the way it moved against hers felt soft and warming. Her knees popped and she feel a bit before catching herself. Gaara held her wrist and drew it closer to himself as he reached a hand under her other arm to support her. She shook her head in protest as blood began to leak down her nostrils, but he just pulled her closer.

When he looked up over her head he saw that Naruto was missing. Never mind that. He didn't care too much for the blond anyway.

"Sakura," Gaara whispered in her ear, loving the feeling he got as her body shivered in response.

He pulled her closer and carried her over the fallen bookcase to where his bed of pillows waited. He lowered her down, taking care to nurse her head into the most plush of all the pillows, while not forgetting to tender the rest of her body. She frowned, scrunching up her nose as shadows raced about underneath her skin, some thick like rivers and others thin as spiderwebs.

He traced the colors running under her skin, soaking up the feel of her flesh against his in tiny measurements. She was such a fierce, motherly figure at times in his memory when she stood over him and killed for his sake. But now, she was as sweet as a lamb before him. It made his heart feel warm and light, knowing she was under his care, if only for the moment.

"Sorry," she breathed, barely conscious. "I don't know what..." she paused to cough and there was blood on her lips, staining her teeth.

"I've seen this before," Gaara whispered, rubbing small circles into her arms. "It's withdraw. Your body is used to fighting and it wants to change, to burn black, to fight...it is giving you trouble because it is only resting now."

She cracked a single eye open to look at him. "This happened to you?"

He smiled shyly. "Only once or twice. It's not bad."

"I'm sorry to hear that," she replied, closing her eyes. "Will you not hurt me while I sleep?"

He almost chuckled at how cute she seemed. Of course he wouldn't hurt her. She was his favorite out of everyone he ever knew, and that included his family members. "I'll watch over you, you can trust me."

"I'm sorry, but I don't trust anyone," she yawned, feeling and sounding tired. "But I don't have a...choice." She breathed easy and soon her chest fell in time to the soothing motion of sleep.

Gaara watched her, still somehow wrapped in awe. He was a creature who hated what he had become after the incident in his home that sent him over the edge. He didn't like being a killer, but when it became obvious that he couldn't stop anything or prevent his own actions, he closed himself off and became apathetic. He didn't want to love people he could possibly hurt.

But Sakura wasn't like that. She wasn't like _him_. She was a woman who had a great mind of control. Sure she got wild and went after blood in battles, but she didn't loose it like he did. She was still so young or strong mentally that she could hold herself back from going too far. She seemed to always act in self defense, and never seemed eager for a fight. But beyond even that, she protected him.

A part of him was afraid to feel so strongly for her in fear of hurting her, but the magnificence of it all was that he didn't need to fear something like that. Sakura was stronger than he was, if not younger in her ways. She could keep herself in check _and_ him. It was perfect. She would love him and take care of him and he would give her his everything. She would own his heart soul and bodies. She would be the empress of her minds, both sane and mad. When he thought of her, there was peace and agreement in his senesces. Whatever monster lived in him, wanted her just as much.

"You are the one tailed child. The demon Gaara," someone spoke from behind the fallen bookcase.

Gaara looked over his shoulder, bristling at the sight of another red head. He recognized the older male. He was the puppeteer who was allowed tea and coffee chats with Sakura over board games.

"Leave now," Gaara simply growled, feeling his eyes burn with flecks of seeping gold.

The older man sneered. "Not without what I came for," Sasori replied.

"I won't tell you again."

"And I won't repeat myself. I came to take Sakura."

Gaara growled deeper in his throat as he leaned over Sakura and crouched low like a dog protecting its own. "Sakura is **mine**!"

Sasori looked like he was ready to murder...again. "You? What has the hell world come to? Even you dare to make such accusations? You know not what you're dealing with, much less deserve her you brat."

"You're the one who doesn't know, or deserve. Sakura is like me. She was _meant_ to be _mine_."

Sasori never seemed angrier and it was odd because he was such a calm character that never let his feelings go out of hand. That was why the men in white coats let him do as he pleased. But this time, he was anything but calm. "_Over my dead body_."

Gaara leapt without warning, but Sasori was ready for him and had the younger boy trapped in puppet wires before long. "Shit!"

Sasori smirked. "I came prepared, as well as on orders, so I have the ok to do as I will in order to retrieve what I've already chosen as mine," Sasori seethed, sticking something into Gaar's neck. It was a needle with thick pink goo that pulled sleep into Gaara's eyes faster than any drug DOMO had on hand. Sasori was the master of such toxic creations.

Still, Gaara struggled. "I'll kill you."

"She wouldn't like that, which is why I am sparing _you_, brat. I actually care about her mind and her heart. If she doesn't like blood and murder, I won't indulge in such pleasures for her sake." Sasori took a step around Gaara as the wires loosened. "However, even my patience has its limit. Press it no further if you value your life, Gaara of the red sand."

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Papers hit the desk with enough force to make a slapping sound that filled the entirety of the room.

"Are you sure Ami?" the golden eyed man asked, looking up from his papers.

The young woman in the white coat nodded, holding up a TV remote and pointing it at a wall where a television screen was coming out. "Yes, please see for yourself what I am saying. We're all really excited about this development in the Uchiha without the other one."

The screen flickered to life, showing Itachi tapping against the glass, looking into a room empty of Sakura. His expression was downcast, and was probably enough to make a few of the lesser female workers tear up.

"Sakura," he said on his own. "Sakura...please come back. Sakura? Are you there, Sakura?" More tapping. "Was it something I did Sakura? I'm sorry, please just come back to me. Please, Sakura...?"

A minute passed and he slid to his knees, still tapping the glass. "F*ck. Bring her back," he said in a tone much stronger. "Bring Sakura back to her room, you hear me? Bring her the hell back to me you sons of-"

Itachi seethed insults for another minute before calming down. Ami clicked the TV off, turning to face Orochimaru.

"Amazing," the older man breathed. "We were lucky to get a few words out of him before this. Now he is using full sentences in English. The timing couldn't be more perfect."

"Sir?" Ami asked.

Orochimaru chuckled. "I had promised her to someone else for a while, but this will be more interesting. Madara can wait for his little nephew's turn to be over before he has his day."

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AN: I most likely scared you a bit if you saw my profile page. And, to be honest, I really thought that was it for me. But it wasn't long before I was back, reading the work of other writers here on and feeling left out. Sorry. I don't know where I am right now, and I don't know where I am going. I canm't make up my mind. That's all.

Please enjoy the story and review!


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